page_title: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
section_title: Secretariat
hierarchical_section_title: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation / Secretariat
caption_attribution_description: English: This is the secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Kathmandu Nepal.
context_page_description: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The SAARC comprises 3% of the world's area, 21% of the world's population and 4.21% of the global economy, as of 2019.
  The SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8 December 1985. Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The organization promotes development of economic and regional integration. It launched the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006. The SAARC maintains permanent diplomatic relations at the United Nations as an observer and has developed links with multilateral entities, including the European Union.
context_section_description: The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 January 1987 and was inaugurated by the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal.
caption: Secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Kathmandu, Nepal
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