INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING AND EXPANSION OF SAARC

This article examines two critical issues for the future of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): the need for institutional capacity building and the question of its potential expansion. It argues that for SAARC to move beyond a declaratory role to an effective implementing body, a significant strengthening of its institutional capacity is required. The study focuses on the need to empower the SAARC Secretariat, enhance the capacity of its technical committees, and create more effective mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of its decisions. The research then turns to the complex and sensitive issue of the expansion of SAARC, both in terms of new members (like Afghanistan) and the engagement of observer states. The paper analyzes the potential benefits of expansion, such as increased connectivity and a larger market, as well as the potential drawbacks, including making the consensus-based decision-making process even more difficult. The analysis concludes that institutional reform and a carefully managed approach to expansion are essential for the long-term viability and effectiveness of the organization.

For the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to evolve into a more effective instrument of regional integration, two fundamental issues need to be addressed: its institutional capacity and its geographical scope. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of both these challenges. The first part of the study is a critical assessment of SAARC's existing institutional framework. It argues that the SAARC Secretariat has historically been under-resourced and given a very limited mandate, rendering it a weak and largely ineffective body. The paper makes a strong case for institutional capacity building, advocating for a more empowered Secretariat with the authority to initiate proposals and monitor implementation, and for the creation of new, specialized regional centers. The second part of the paper delves into the complex debate over the expansion of SAARC. It examines the then-active application of Afghanistan for full membership, assessing the geopolitical and economic arguments for and against its inclusion. It also analyzes the growing interest of major external powers, such as China, Japan, and the United States, in becoming observer states. The paper weighs the potential benefits of this increased international engagement against the risks of bringing great power rivalries into the SAARC process. The findings suggest that while both institutional reform and expansion are necessary for SAARC's evolution, they must be pursued in a careful and strategic manner to ensure that they genuinely strengthen, rather than weaken, the organization's coherence and purpose.