The Sixth summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to be held here on Saturday will virtually tell the advanced Western counties that developing nations need no sermons from them on human rights. (India’s track record in this regard is particularly bad. Ed WSN)

All member nations agreed with this Indian position. It will figure prominently in the Colombo declaration at the end of the summit.

Sources pointed out that the SAARC leaders had to first endorse the draft declaration after it is finalized by the council of ministers at a second meeting on Friday.

Indian officials were relieved to find that the pre summit proceedings were totally free of tension and rancor, particularly in the context of the sudden cancellation of the original sixth summit, scheduled here nearly November and the acrimony that followed with Colombo accusing New Delhi of shuttling the meet.

“The feeling one gets is that things are back on rail”, one official said, adding that whatever misunderstanding was there did not seem to be casting a shadow on the proceedings,

“Basically, there were no hiccups. SAARC is operational again”, he said,

The sources said the council of ministers met twice, first informally for about 75 minutes and then formally for about 30 minutes, to discuss their report to the heads of government and finalize the draft declaration.

While the report was finalized, the draft declaration was expected To be adopted at a second meeting scheduled.

The sources said the declaration would stress the need for strengthening regional cooperation and the need for creating a distinct “SAARC identity” as a cohesive international body to tackle the emerging international situation.

The declaration will also touch on issues such as how SAARC should deal with developments within the region and in the international filed and trade traffic barriers east west and north south relation.

The need for continuing and expanding consultations among the member countries on the integrated program of action, moving ahead on the agreement on trade, manufacture and services, poverty alleviation, protection of the girl child, eradication offer terrorism and, dig trafficking and cooperation. in the field of science and technology are some of the other subjects that would figure prominently in the declaration.

Another important issue on which India ad special stress and other members agreed was that environment was a geo political issue”.

The declaration is expected 10 underline that environmental protection should be according to the requirements of developing counties.

India’s stand that “arguments on environment should not be used to keep the developing countries at a low level of development permanently”, was filly supported by all countries, they said.

Meanwhile, the SAARC standing committee of foreign secretaries informally met here to finalize their report. (Indian newspaper report).

Article extracted from this publication >> January 10, 1992