South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC)

Established    : 1985
Headquarter  : Kathmandu, Nepal.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985. SAARC comprises of eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu on 17 January 1987.
The member states are

1. Afghanistan,
2. Bangladesh,
3. Bhutan,
4. India,
5. Maldives,
6. Nepal,
7. Pakistan and
8. Sri Lanka.​

SAARC summit
The Meetings of the Heads of Government of Member States is the highest decision making authority under SAARC. Summits are usually held biennially hosted by a Member State in alphabetical order. The Member State hosting the Summit assumes the Chair of the Association. 

1. Dhaka, 1985
2. Bangalore, 1986
3. Kathmandu, 1987
4. Islamabad, 1988
5. Male, 1990
6. Colombo, 1991
7. Dhaka, 1993
8. New Delhi, 1995
9. Male, 1997
10. Colombo, 1998
11. Kathmandu, 2002
12. Islamabad, 2004
13. Dhaka, 2005
14. New Delhi, 2007
15. Colombo, 2008
16. Thimphu, 2010
17. Addu(Maldives), 2011
18. Kathmandu,2014

SAARC – Specialized Bodies
SAARC has established new institutions such as SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO), South Asian University (SAU), SAARC Development Fund (SDF) Secretariat and SAARC Regional Standards Organization (SARSO).

1. SAARC Development Fund(SDF) - The 13th SAARC Summit decided to establish SAARC Development Fund (SDF) as a comprehensive funding mechanism with the provision of three Windows (Social, Economic and Infrastructure). SDF Secretariat was formally commissioned in April 2010 in Thimphu during the 16th SAARC Summit. SDF is governed by a Board consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Finance of the Member States. The Governing Council of SDF oversees the functioning of the Board.
2. South Asian University - The Agreement for the Establishment of South Asian University, India was signed by the Ministers of Foreign/External Affairs of the Member States during the Fourteenth SAARC Summit (2007).
3. South Asian Regional Standards Organization(SARSO) - The fifteenth SAARC Summit paved the way for establishing SARSO in order to harmonize standards and promote cooperation in the fields of metrology. The agreement on SARSO came into effect in 2011.
4. SAARC Arbitration Council(SARCO) - The agreement on SARCO was signed during the Thirteenth Summit and came into effect in 2007. SARCO was established with a view to resolve cost-effective settlement of disputes via arbitration within the region.

SAARC Regional Centres
Since 1989, a number of Regional Centres with specific mandates have been established to strengthen and promote regional cooperation. 

1.  SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), Dhaka
2. SAARC Energy Centre (SEC), Islamabad
3. SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Colombo, Sri Lanka
4. SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC), Kathmandu
5. SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India

South Asian Free Trade Area(SAFTA)
The South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) is the free trade arrangement of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The agreement came into place in 2006, succeeding the 1993 SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement. SAFTA signatory countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.