SAARC MEDIA

Communication information and SAARC

Communication:

This issue was raised in 1997, 9^th summit

The first meeting of the communication ministers of SAARC held in Colombo in 1998 and prepare a plan of action as :

To reduce the rate of telephone in member countries,

To develop the mechanism of telephone among the member state,

To issue the telephone card,

Liberal policy in communication sector,

Expand telephone service in the rural areas,

Human resource development in this sector.

Information:

The first meeting of the information minister was held in Dhaka in 1998 and focused in these areas:

Free flow of information in SAARC,

Free flow of books, newspapers and other publications,

To exchange the service of the news agency,

To conduct the regular meeting of journalist of SAARC country

To exchange the radio and TV program,

Regular training for the media person,

To establish the SAARC information center,

To establish the SAARC media development fund.

SAARC Professional Bodies

These bodies have been established in the non–government sectors and for people to people contact. These bodies have supported to develop the professional skills and to exchange their ideas in the concern fields.

These bodies are:

SAARC Apex Bodies:( the higher or the supreme bodies)

1- SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry

2- SAARC Law

3- South Asian Federation of Accountants

SAARC Regional Bodies

a- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation of Architects.

b- Association of Management Development Institutions.

c- SAARC Federation of University Women.

d- SAARC Association of Town Planners.

e- SAARC Cardiac society.

f- SAARC Diploma Engineers Forum.

g- SAARC Teachers’ Federation.

h- Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literatures.

i- Federation of state Insurance Organizations of SAARC.

j- Radiological Society of SAARC Countries.

k- SAARC Surgical Care Society.

l- South Asian Free Media Association.(SAFMA).

m- The Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians.

SAFMA (South Asian Free Media Association).

Established in Islamabad in 2003 by the south Asian journalist to coordinate them and to work as a pressure group for press freedom in the region.

Recognized as a SAARC body in 2004,

Some conferences of the print media journalist of this region have been conducted after the establishment of this organization are:

Dhaka 2003

Delhi 2004

Male 2oo5

Delhi 2007.

These conferences were initiated by the host countries and not organized by SAFMA.

SAARC and UNICEF

Agreement to work together was signed in 1993,

UNICEF is working with the SAARC to implement the SAARC decision on children,

ROSA, Regional Office of the South Asia, is a regional body of UNICEF is working with SAARC in the concern field. It organized the ministerial meeting in child related issues.

New Delhi 1986

Colombo 1992

Rawalpindi 1996

These meetings focused in nutrition, violence against children, polio eradication and other child related issues.

Social Charter

This issue was raised to focus and promote the social agendas of SAARC, During the 10^th summit, 1998 in Colombo.

Poverty eradication

Population stabilization

Empowerment of women

Youth mobilization

Human resources development

Promotion of health and nutrition

Protection of children

These agendas are included in the social agendas of SAARC and every summit should address this charter while programming and funding in these field.

SAVE (SAARC Audio visual Exchange) program.

This is a radio and television program and produce in every member country by the state owned radio and TV. The program was started by the decision of council of minister in 1987. It is broadcasting by the state owned radio and TV every month. The objective of this program is to exchange and disseminate the information among the SAARC countries.

Youth, education, environment, disability, safe and clean drinking water, mountain and hills, participatory governance, empowerment of women, tourism etc are the program areas of SAVE.

Achievements and challenges of SAARC

Achievements

1) Effective platform to promote people to people contact.

2) Positive impact in foreign policy.

3) Common efforts for regional development.

4) Collective concept to address the regional problem.

5) Significant position in international forum.

6) Mutual cooperation in various sectors.

7) Platform for bilateral understanding.

Challenges

1) No implementation as its commitment.

2) Bilateral debates among the member states.

3) Lack of resources to address the high expectation of the people.

4) Political instability almost in all member states.

5) Inefficient bureaucracy.

SAARC Regional Centers

1) SAARC Agricultural Information Center, SAIC

Established in 1988, Dhaka, as a first regional center of SAARC.

Objective is to exchange the technical information about agriculture in the region and to conduct the research in this field.

Fisheries, forestry, live stock and crops, data bases on fish disease and potato cultivation are the working areas of this center.

2) SAARC Tuberculosis Center (STC)

Established in 1992, Kathmandu for prevention and control tuberculosis in region. It coordinates to supply medicine of TB at low cost in SAARC countries. It works a lot in mitigate TB and introduced the DOTS treatment system in the SAARC region.

Collects information, analyze the latest treatment system, exchange and disseminate the TB control program.

3) SAARC Meteorological Research Center (SMRC)

Established in 1995, Dhaka

To conduct the research in weather forecasting, climate information and develop the network among member states in this field.

4) SAARC Human Resource Development Center.

Established in 1999, Islamabad.

Focuses its activities in the human resource development and disseminate the information in the related field.

5) SAARC Documentation Center (SDC)

Established in 1994, New Delhi.

It focuses its activities on development, engineering, chemicals, physical and biological, science and technology.

It conducts the training course on library science and documentation.

6) SAARC Information Center (SIC)

Established in 2004, Kathmandu.

To collect and disseminate various informations about SAARC and other South Asian countries.