SAARC GUIDELINES AND THE STRUGGLE FOR REGULATORY COHERENCE: A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), comprising eight member states, was established in 1985 to promote regional integration, economic collaboration, and collective development. Over the decades, SAARC has issued numerous guidelines and frameworks across critical sectors such as trade, disaster management, public health, and environmental protection. However, despite these efforts, the region continues to grapple with significant challenges in achieving regulatory coherence—defined as the systematic alignment and harmonization of laws, standards, and administrative procedures across national jurisdictions. This lack of coherence undermines the effectiveness of regional initiatives and impedes the realization of SAARC’s broader developmental goals. This paper explores the structural, political, and institutional barriers that hinder regulatory harmonization within the SAARC framework. It argues that legal diversity among member states, persistent geopolitical tensions—particularly between India and Pakistan—and the limited authority and capacity of SAARC’s institutional mechanisms contribute to fragmented policy landscapes. These challenges are compounded by asymmetries in economic development, technological infrastructure, and administrative capabilities across the region. To illustrate these dynamics, the paper presents two sectoral case studies: disaster risk reduction and trade standardization. In the first, it examines the implementation gaps in SAARC’s Environment Action Plan and the limited coordination during transboundary disasters. In the second, it analyses the technical barriers to trade arising from inconsistent product standards and the slow progress of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). These examples underscore the disconnect between regional aspirations and national-level execution. In response to these challenges, the paper proposes a set of actionable recommendations. These include strengthening SAARC’s institutional capacity through targeted reforms, adopting mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) to facilitate cross-border regulatory alignment, and integrating regional efforts with global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, the paper advocates for greater involvement of non-state actors—including civil society organizations and the private sector—to enhance accountability and innovation in regional governance. Ultimately, the paper contends that regulatory coherence is not merely a technical goal but a strategic imperative for South Asia. Achieving it would enable more effective governance, foster resilience against shared regional threats, and unlock the region’s vast economic potential through deeper integration and cooperation. Key words: SAARC, Regulatory harmonization, Drug approval process, Pharmacovigilance, South Asian Free Trade Area