WUNRN
SAARC - South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation
The
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established when
its Charter was formally adopted on December 8, 1985 by the Heads of State or
Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka.
SAARC
provides a platform for the peoples of South Asia to work together in a spirit
of friendship, trust and understanding. It aims to accelerate the process of
economic and social development in Member States.
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http://www.saarc-sec.org/main.php?t=2.8.1
Ever since
the launching of regional cooperation in South Asia, issues related to women
have figured prominently on the SAARC agenda. The Technical Committee on Women
in Development was created under the erstwhile Integrated Programme of Action
(IPA) in 1986. Thirteen Meetings of the Technical Committee held under IPA
resulted in the formulation of a Regional Plan of Action on Women.
The
Technical Committee on Women in Development was merged into the Technical
Committee on Social Development under the SAARC Integrated Programme of Action
(SIPA) in January 2000.
The
Technical Committee on Social Development held one Meeting before it ceases to
function with the creation of a new Technical Committee on Women, Youth and
Children under the revised Regional Integrated Programme of Action (RIPA) in
January 2004.
Concerned
over the trafficking of women and children within and between countries in the
region, SAARC adopted a Regional Convention on Combating the Crime of
Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution in January 2002, during the
Eleventh Summit in Kathmandu. The Convention calls for cooperation amongst
Member States in dealing with various aspects of prevention, interdiction and
suppression of trafficking in women and children for prostitution, and
repatriation and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking. It also calls for
prevention of use of women and children in international prostitution networks,
particularly where countries of the region are the countries of origin, transit
and destination.
The Thirteen
Summit (Dhaka, 12-13 November 2005) affirmed its strong resolve to continue to
work together to address the problem posed by trafficking in women and
children. That Summit expressed satisfaction at the ratification of the above
Convention by all Member States and called for effective measures for its early
implementation.
The
Association has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), to help Member States to strive towards
the goals of gender equality based upon the empowerment approach. The MoU was
signed in December 2001. Under the MoU, SAARC and UNIFEM are in the process of
developing the SAARC Gender Database: Mapping Progress of Women in the South
Asia Region.
Parallel to this official level pursuit, political level consultations have
also been held to advance the cause of women. So far, as many as four
Ministerial Conferences have been convened to address the specific concerns of
women. Shillong (1986), Islamabad (1990), Kathmandu (1993) and Dhaka (1995).
Another Ministerial Conference on Women would be held Pakistan in 2006.
The
Ministerial Conference in Dhaka adopted a “Dhaka Resolution on Women”, which was
later presented to the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995).
At the
highest political level, the Leaders have continued to stress on the need to
address issues affecting women. At their Eleventh Summit (Kathmandu, January
2002), the Leaders agreed to mobilize necessary resources and to intensify
broad-based action to achieve a set of priority goals in improving the social
status of women and children. These include, among others, (a) establishing a
voluntary fund with the contribution from Member States, individuals, donor
countries and agencies for rehabilitation and reintegration of the victims of
trafficking; and (b) pursuing and promoting social development through
empowerment of women and ensuring their full participation in decision making
at all levels. At that Summit, the Leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to
the upliftment of social status of women in the region through specific and
target-oriented programs. They also directed that necessary measures be taken
to ensure the development of women to their inherent potential.
Pursuant to
a decision of the Eleventh Summit (Kathmandu, January 2002), the SAARC
Autonomous Women’s Advocacy Group (SAWAG) was formed, to advocate mainstreaming
gender and make recommendation on gender related issues and programmes in the
region. The Group convened its First Meeting in June 2004 in Islamabad, and
decided to commission a Study incorporating issues such as women’s citizenship,
women’s political representation, trafficking and sexual exploitation, gender
and HIV/AIDS, female education and literacy, legal rights and economic
empowerment and impact of globalization on women.
The Thirteen
Summit (Dhaka, 12-13 November 2005) reiterated its pledge to continue to work
in the next decade and beyond to address the formidable challenges faced by
women and children, especially the girl child. That Summit noted that sustained
efforts were needed on the part of the Member States not only to free them from
all types of deprivation but also to make them full partners and beneficiaries
of South Asian progress and development.
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Worldwide reprimand for South Asia for its poor record on human trafficking has brought SAARC nations together to discuss the ways to check the illegal trade across borders.
Top officials from SAARC nations will discuss a plan to operationalise SAARC
Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for
Prostitution on Thursday. The convention was signed in 2002 and ratified in
2004.
Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury said "The meeting
will focus on rescue and rehabilitation of women and children and look ways to
increase partnership on containing trafficking. We are also looking at an
extradition policy for traffickers".
The SAARC countries will also share best practices in countering the problem
during the meeting, Chowdhury said.
When questioned about the US threat to put India in a Tier-3 watch list of countries where trafficking of women and children is a matter of concern, she said, "I don't like someone watching over our shoulders. We are sensitive to the issue. We have signed protocols and agreements. No one should question our commitment to the issue."
From January 1 to June 30 this year, 342 cases of trafficking of women and children have been registered, 596 victims have been rescued and 817 traffickers have been arrested in the country, she said.
Chowdhury informed her ministry is preparing a database of missing children.
She said a meeting of enforcement agencies would also be held for discussing ways to stop trafficking through the porous borders. An inspection of all women's homes in the country will also be carried out, Chowdhury said.
The two-day conference will also discuss micro-finance for women in the region. "Microfinance is the most empowering tool for women. It has radically changed lives of a large number of women," Chowdhury said.
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