GLOBAL COOPERATION NEWSLETTER
January 2015

In this issue:
Featured article:
 The Disparate Partnership and Search for Cooperation in South Asia by Kalpana Jha
 A Universal Call to Action to Transform our World beyond 2015
 On the road to the Joint World Conference in Seoul


Useful resources and links



Featured article. The Disparate Partnership and Search for Cooperation in South
Asia " by Kalpana Jha

The 18th Summit of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was held on 26-27
November 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal. In the run-up to
the Summit, there were hopes of a breakthrough of an
economic nature that might be achieved during thatimportant regional event, giving a welcome boost to
economic integration in the South Asia region, which
despite its huge potential remains one of the least
integrated regions in the world. We have asked Ms.
Kalpana Jha, a researcher from Institute of Peace andConflict Studies in New Delhi, to provide somecomments on the outcome of the Kathmandu Summit, also touching upon
SAARC's history, its present activities and existing regional challenges. Editor
The background
The initial proposal of establishing SAARC was put forward by former President Ziaur
Rahman of Bangladesh in May 1980 and was quickly supported by Nepal, Sri Lanka, theMaldives and Bhutan. The rationale behind the proposal was to improve regional
cooperation within South Asia so as to strengthen stability, security and peace in theregion. Some specific features included economic goals, such as sharing the water
resources of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers among the neighbouring countries, river
basin management, promoting regional trade and the overall economic development ofPage 1 of 10

the region in general and in constituent countries in particular. Acceptance of the
proposal by India and Pakistan was lukewarm and gradual; the key condition was the
exclusion of security-related and bilateral matters outside the scope of the proposed
regional cooperation framework.1 The charter of SAARC was accepted by all sevenmembers in mid-1985, preceded by several meetings of foreign ministers convened tosmoothen the existing differences. The thrust behind the eventual agreement was theidea of addressing common challenges and nurturing a shared future, as well as
generating an opportunity to improve understanding of one another’s problems and todeal with conflicts. Afghanistan became the eighth country to join after the 13 th SAARC
summit meeting held in 2005. The features that make cooperation unique in this regionis the great diversity among countries in terms of land area, GDP, and population, amid
substantial similarities with regard to the level of human and economic development.
Cooperation in SAARC is based on respect for the principles of sovereign equality,
territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in the internal affairs of themember states and mutual benefit. Regional cooperation is seen as a complement to thebilateral and multilateral relations of SAARC members. SAARC declarations andconventions have their primary focus centred on human security and democratic
governance through the promotion of trade relations among countries. Countering
terrorism, the prevention of human trafficking and prostitution, enhancing the welfare ofchildren, the prevention of drug-trafficking and narcotics, and mutual cooperation on
criminal matters have been the major focus of SAARC conventions.
However, the region has remained one of the most unstable, with regional cooperation
having contributed very little to improving the situation. Internal insecurities, as well as
external interventions, have played a decisive role in the current situation in the region.
Issues like drug trafficking, terrorism and inter- and intra-regional disputes havebesieged South Asia. The trust deficit among the member states has thwarted unity, andthat remains, unfortunately, the case until today. That has also contributed to thechronic lack of funds, leading to the failure to address the worst natural calamities,
namely, the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, the Pakistan earthquake in 2005 and the floodin Pakistan in 2010.

1
Priyanka Kher. Political Economy of Regional Integration in South Asia, UNCTAD,
Geneva, 2012
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Despite of all negative factors, the agreement cannot be considered entirely a let-down.
A number of significant achievements should be mentioned, such as (i) the Regional
Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, (ii) the SAARC Agriculture Information Centre
at Dhaka, (iii) the SAARC audio-visual exchange programme (SAVE), (iv) the Social
Charter, which sets targets for the eradication of poverty, population stabilisation andhuman-resource development, and (v) the SACODiL (the SAARC Consortium on Openand Distance Learning) and the Heads of Universities Grants Commissions/Equivalent
Bodies, which fall to its credit. In addition, the establishment of the South Asian
University has been a remarkable achievement in the field of education and research, aswell as the exchange of culture among the students of South Asia.
Further, the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement, which came into force
with the major objective of enhancing the volume of intra-regional trade in South Asia,
has engendered hope for broader regional cooperation. Multiple preferential andunilateral trade treaties exist in the region. For example: the bilateral agreements
between India and Sri Lanka, such as the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement(ISLFTA), which has been operating successfully since 2000, and negotiations towards a
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which is still in the pipeline.
India has a preferential trade agreement with Afghanistan and trade treaties operating
like de facto free trade agreements with Bhutan and Nepal. Exports of all leastdeveloped countries (LDCs) are allowed to enter India free of duty and quota
restrictions. Although those preferential and unilateral trade treaties have operated well,they have over-powered the regional trade agreement. SAFTA, which has not been able
to lead the regional trade beyond six percent. However, the relevance of SAFTA cannot
be underestimated and rather stronger trade relations can be developed by bringing all
trade agreements under the ambit of SAFTA. Future possibilities for the formation of astronger union, similar to the European Union, with a common currency and open
borders for all of SAARC, have also emerged, and SAFTA can be an important way
forward towards achieving that goal. It is also particularly important to achieve the goalof creating the South Asian Economic Union (SAEU).
As stipulated in the SAARC Charter, economic growth and social development based onjustice, equity and democracy are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Hence,
economic exchanges might further promote bilateral relations and remain the best way
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for enhancing greater stability in the region, as well as for promoting democracy anddevelopment at the same time. However, there are important dynamics to be scrutinized
in order to understand the core reasons that keep the regional block from consolidating.
The Kathmandu Summit
The 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu in 2014 in November only partially met
expectations. The theme of the Summit was ‘deeper integration for peace andprosperity’. That focus entailed an emphasis on a deeper integration through thecreation of a free trade area with trade liberalization, investment, the elimination of nontariff barriers, and in general, going beyond traditional market access issues as well as
achievement of peace. Issues like terrorism, climate change, regional connectivity andthe common market, were tabled; some fresh agenda projects such as the launching ofa regional communication satellite, railway services, a SAARC motor-vehicle agreement
and energy cooperation were also forwarded. Nepal drafted a 31-point Summit
declaration, which comprehensively includes all arenas to be focused on for future
development of SAARC, which received the approval of all member countries. Other
issues included making concerted efforts to cooperate in “containing communicablediseases like Ebola, HIV/AIDS, etc.” Further, forming a more ambitious union with asingle currency was another progressive vision presented by the participants. There wasalso a proposal for the free movement of people and a common visa provision within the
SAARC region so as to increase the level of people-to-people contact in the region.
But despite the three important prepared agreements -- dealing with cooperation onenergy, easier access for motor vehicles and railways -- only one framework agreement
on regional electricity connectivity was signed. This agreement is aimed at cross-border
trade in electricity and at creating a seamless power grid across South Asia. Some
important agreements were also achieved at the bilateral level; for example, the one
regarding better transportation services between India and Nepal. Commenting on theoutcome of the Summit, some observers suggested that additional attention should be
paid to cooperation at the sub-regional level.2
However the strained relationship between India and Pakistan had a negative impact
during the Summit, tarnishing prospects of future cooperation. Those strains have also2

See: Pradumna B. Rana. As SAARC drags its feet, South Asia should turn to subregionalism, 25 December 2014, http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2014/12/25/as-saarcdrags-its-feet-south-asia-should-turn-to-sub-regionalism/
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had an impact on the SAFTA enhancement and broader collaboration among thecountries in the region.
The existing challenges
Historically, there is one important factor that keeps South Asia divided and should betaken into consideration in any analysis. It is the fact that SAARC is composed ofcountries sharing “unequal eminence” geographically as well as economically. SAARC
members give the impression of being fragments of a "whole". With India and Pakistan
sharing a vindictive history of separation, it is not a rivalry that is expressed at theideological level, the economic level or the security level, but this is a mistrust generated
between the power regimes in both countries. Similar situation exists in the case of
Pakistan and Bangladesh. Bhutan is another country that has remained a direct
protectorate of India. Sri Lanka and India also has shared a strained political relationshipwith regard to the “Tamil Tigers” movements, while Nepal's nationalism has always been
centred on anti-Indian slogans.
While sovereignty is often understood in terms of civilizational distinctness, the SAARC
countries are composed of overlapping identities that blur the existing identity
boundaries but also strengthen insecurities. In that context India, being the single mostpowerful nation in the region, has been perceived as the source of insecurity by thesmaller states rather than a binding factor. On the other hand, India has sometimes
viewed SAARC as a ganging-up of smaller nations against India. In addition, China's
joining as an observer to the organization and its push to being a member state haveclearly generated further ambiguity in the existing incongruent relationship between
India and other smaller nations. Obviously, equal trade relations cannot be established in
an unequal and ambiguous bilateral political environment, where the economic relationsin the current global scenario are guided by the dynamic interplay of culture, politics andeconomy.
The problems in South Asia are multi-faceted. The conceptualization of state was often
not based on a uniform vision but on contrasting ideas. The contrasting idea of
democracy is explained by the regime structure that those states adapted. Nepal,
Bhutan and Pakistan are conceptualised exclusively on theological lines. Pakistan
conceptualised its statehood on Islamic-based principles, and Nepal went on to being theonly Hindu rashtra in the world. The inability to adequately solve minority language
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challenges has led Sri Lanka into a perpetual conflict; Bangladesh underscored its
identity through linguistic differences with Pakistan. The autocratic military regime in
Pakistan, existing governance problems in Afghanistan and the monarchical rule in Nepal
have added complexity, not just to the regional conceptualization of democracy but also
the globally developing understanding of democracy. India, on the other hand, is avigorous democratic nation that incorporates vast diversity, which may be considered as
the defining idea of India.
All of the above factors contribute to a very different understanding in South Asia ofwhat is a state and what is freedom. Further, that kind of contradictory development
regarding the idea of state has created deep ideological divides among the member
states, thwarting regional cooperation and resulting in the disappointing progress of
SAARC. Instead of carving out a common ground for coalescing, the member states haverather been focusing on designing mechanisms aimed at countering each other and at
protecting one's sovereignty against the other. The religious and cultural diversity that
could have been the tool to cooperation has played an instrumental role in keeping therifts fresh. Domestic conflicts still pervade South Asia and are predominantly centred on
the religious and cultural diversity informed by economic interests.
Therefore, the existence of conflicting ideologies and the functional paradigm of the
predominant cooperation pattern have kept the region from developing into a powerful
economically integrated block, despite the existence of all the required resources. In theface of such an incongruent partnership, only solving the bilateral issues on a priority
basis can provide a breakthrough, leading to a qualitatively new vision for regional
cooperation in South Asia.
The opinions expressed in the article are those of the author and should not beequated with any opinions that may be held by ICSW Management Committee or
the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi.

A Universal Call to Action to Transform our World beyond 2015

The long-awaited and much anticipated Synthesis Report of the UN Secretary-Generalreleased in December 2014 states that the world is “at a historic crossroads, and the
directions we take will determine whether we will succeed or fail on our promises. With
our globalized economy and sophisticated technology, we can decide to end the age-old
ills of extreme poverty and hunger. Or we can continue to degrade our planet and allow
intolerable inequalities to sow bitterness and despair. Our ambition is to achieve
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sustainable development for all”.
According to the report, the year 2015 offers a unique opportunity for global leaders andpeople to end poverty, transform the world to better meet human needs and thenecessities of economic transformation, while protecting our environment, ensuring
peace and realizing human rights. Member States requested the Secretary-General tosynthesize the full range of inputs available on the post-2015 development agenda andto presentasynthesis report

before theendof 2014, as

an input to theintergovernmental negotiations. Drawing from the experience of two decades ofdevelopment practice and from the inputs gathered through an open and inclusive
process, the report charts a road map to the achievement of dignity in the next 15
years.
The

reportproposes

one

universal

andtransformative

agendaforsustainable

development, underpinned by rights, and with people and the planet at the center. An
integrated set of six essential elements is provided to help frame and reinforce thesustainable development agenda and ensure that the ambition and vision expressed by
Member States is communicated and delivered at the country level: (a) dignity: to end
poverty and fight inequality; (b) people: to ensure healthy lives, knowledge and theinclusion of women and children; (c) prosperity: to grow a strong, inclusive andtransformative economy; (d) planet: to protect our ecosystems for all societies and ourchildren; (e) justice: to promote safe and peaceful societies and strong institutions; and(f) partnership: to catalyse global solidarity for sustainable development.
The report also underscores that an integrated sustainable development agenda requires
an equally synergistic framework of means for its implementation, including financing,technology and investments in sustainable development capacities. In addition, thereport calls for embracing a culture of shared responsibility in order to ensure thatpromises made become actions delivered. To that effect, the report proposes aframework to be able to monitor and review implementation, based on enhanced
statistical capacities and tapping into the potential of new and non-traditional data
sources, and a United Nations system “fit for purpose” to address the challenges of the
new agenda. Achieving dignity in the next 15 years is possible if we collectively mobilize
political will and the necessary resources to strengthen the multilateral system and ournations.
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For more details please go to:
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/69/700&Lang=E
 On the road to the Joint World Conference in Seoul.
Representatives of the three partner organizations—International Association of SchoolsofSocialWork(IASSW),

International

CouncilonSocial

Welfare(ICSW)andInternational Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) got together on 20-22 January 2015
in Vancouver, Canada, to discuss the preparatory process for the Joint World Conference
on Social Work, Education and Social Development scheduled to take place in Seoul,
Republic of Korea, in June 2016. The priority theme of the Conference is “Promoting theDignity and Worth of People”.
The agenda of the Vancouver meeting included the progress reports submitted by the
Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and the International Program Committee (IPC) –both established by the partner organizations in cooperation with the hosts of theConference. It also included a discussion on the implementation of the Global Agenda,
the existing priorities and organizational developments. The meeting was attended by all
three Presidents of IASSW, ICSW and IFSW—Vimla Nadkarni, Michael Cichon and Ruth
Stark respectively, who took active part in the frank and productive discussions.
The participants of the meeting discussed the list of speakers selected by the IPC andproposed pertinent changes aimed at better geographical distribution as well as genderbalance among the invited speakers. The participants also discussed the issue ofconference finances, including the proposed level of registration fees. It was noted thatthe proposed budget is based on the assumption of a relatively high attendance (3,000+
conference participants), including at least projected one-third domestic attendees.
It was agreed that there is a need to develop a local and international promotional
strategy for the Conference, including closer cooperation between the three partners at
the national and regional levels. The need to have an agreed outcome document of theConference was also underscored.
It was noted that there is a plan to open the call for abstracts one year ahead of theConference. It was agreed that the participation of practitioners in the Joint World
Conference is as important as the participation of academics, and every effort should be
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made to facilitate such participation. If the submission of an abstract is a condition ofscholarship applications, then the need to give time to practitioners to submit abstracts
as part of their funding application is essential. That might pose a challenge, given the
proposed early deadline for abstracts.
The meeting of the Global Agenda Coordination Group, which was part of the Vancouver
meeting, focused on the implementation of the Global Agenda, including the specifics ofthe preparation of the next report on the priority theme to be presented in Seoul in2016.
Useful resources and links

1. Regional Integration in South Asia : Trends, Challenges and Prospects.
London, 2014
Mohammad A. Razzaque and Jurendra Basnett (eds.)
The report prepared by the Commonwealth Secretariat presents an objective assessmentof trade and economic co-operation among South Asian nations and highlights policy
issues aimed at fostering regional integration.
Written by influential analysts and researchers, the volume’s 24 chapters include
perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, andexaminations of new areas of cooperation, such as investment, regional supply chains,energy and cross-border transport networks.
For more details please go to: http://books.thecommonwealth.org/regional-integrationsouth-asia-hardback
2. The Impacts of Universalization. A Case Study on Thailand’s Social
Protection and Universal Health Coverage. UNRISD, Geneva, 2014
Prapaporn Tivayanond Mongkhonvanit and Piya Hanvoravongchai
The working paper prepared for UNRISD examines specifics of health policy in Thailand
and identifies key drivers for the universalization of health care in the country. The
trends of social security extension are analyzed in the context of policy and institutional
linkages between health care, economic policies and social protection.
For more details please go to:
http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/search/4712B9641EDCF852C1257DA2004D
E30C?OpenDocument
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The content of this Global Newsletter may be freely reproduced or cited provided the source isacknowledged. Views do not necessarily represent policies of ICSW.
Newsletter Editor: Sergei Zelenev, Executive Director
Address: ICSW, 5700 Arlington Ave., Bronx, New York, 10471 (US Office)Phone: +1 347-526- 4893,
E-mail: szelenev@icsw.org, icsw@icsw.org
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