Forty Years of Cooperation in South Asia: A Legal Appraisal of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (saarc)

Abstract Last August marked the 40th anniversary of the start of interstate cooperation in South Asia which has been characterised by few lights and many shadows over the years. saarc has not been able to smooth out tensions between its Member States, rather it has fallen victim to them, nor has it contributed realistically to the economic and social development of the region. This paper aims to offer an in-depth analysis of saarc in a legal perspective. In particular, its Charter, its secondary law, and its practice will be investigated through the lens of the theoretical framework of international institutional law in order to ascertain if saarc meets the requirements that are commonly believed to characterise international organizations.