---
title: "SAARC: South Asian Regional Cooperation | Model Diplomat"
description: "SAARC is South Asia's eight-member regional bloc founded in 1985, now effectively frozen since 2016. Learn its charter, structure, and why summits stalled."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/saarc-south-asian-association"
---

[New](https://modeldiplomat.com/)

#

Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- SAARC is the eight-member regional intergovernmental organisation of South Asian states, established in 1985 to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation.
- Why has SAARC not held a summit since 2014?
- How does SAARC differ from BIMSTEC?
- What are the two key decision rules in the SAARC Charter?
- Where is the SAARC Secretariat located and who heads it?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

Go beyond the definition

## Research SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) like a delegate

Model Diplomat's AI drafts position papers, speeches, and country research with real sources — built for MUN and politics students.

## Timeline

1. 8 December 1985

   The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the principal regional intergovernmental organisation of the Indian subcontinent, formally es…

2. 16 January 1987

   The permanent Secretariat was established in Kathmandu, Nepal, and inaugurated on .

3. 1 January 2006

   Its flagship economic instrument is the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) Agreement, signed at the 12th Islamabad Summit in 2004 and entered into force on…

## Research it like a delegate

Research on modeldiplomat.com

## Ask a follow-up about SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)

Open a cited briefing in Model Diplomat search — timelines, positions, and sources you can use in committee or exam answers.

[Start research on SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)](https://modeldiplomat.com/search?q=Explain%20SAARC%20\(South%20Asian%20Association%20for%20Regional%20Cooperation\)%20%E2%80%94%20key%20dates%2C%20actors%2C%20positions%2C%20and%20sources)

Example

In November 2016, India withdrew from the 19th SAARC Summit scheduled in Islamabad after the Uri attack, prompting Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan to follow, and no SAARC summit has convened since.

Keep learning

## Go deeper than the definition

[Explore all Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams lessons](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services)[Test yourself with a quiz](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/quiz/civil-services)

## Take SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) beyond the glossary

Ask the AI research engine built for diplomacy — get briefings, position papers, and speeches with sources you can cite in committee.