Editorial»
Regional cooperation
- Civil society perspective
JAN 07 - Empower Secretariat: To strengthen regional cooperation it is absolutely necessary that the Secretariat think and act regional at all times. Presently, the Secretariat is merely a passive bystander as it lacks authority to introduce new ideas through independent research, and also serve as an agent for regional dialogue and change.
Its structure should be so designed to act politically and functionally with all deliberations in the Technical Committees being deemed functional and subject to majority decisions. Decisions of the Technical Committees that need immediate attention of SAARC should be funnelled into the appropriate sectoral Ministerial Councils. Here too, after some years, majority rule should prevail with the provision for sub-regional co-operation for those wishing to go this route for greater regional integration.
Accredited regional civil society organisations should be invited to submit their memoranda to the Secretary General for deliberations by the Council of Ministers. To really empower the Secretariat to think and act regionally it is recommended that all UN agencies channel their own regional programmes for South Asia into the SAARC Secretariat for implementation. A matter that requires underscoring is that these UN Specialised Agencies and their regional funds for South Asia support, in the spirit of true ownership, the institutionalisation of these regional programmes in the SAARC Secretariat.
A valuable function that the Secretariat could undertake is to have an up to date database of all national laws and regulations and their interpretations and prominent cases, including being the repository of the UN conventions and their implementation status in SAARC countries. It would greatly help if, under the leadership of the Secretary General, who should have Ministerial status, a Standing Committee of Experts to develop position papers for joint consideration on (a) WTO, (b) international and regional financial institutions, (c) environment, (d) terrorism, and (e) water resources be brought out in the form of a Regional White Paper for national debate.
IT and digital divide
Information technology has the potential to help the South Asian region to leap frog into a new development paradigm not experienced anywhere before. Regional co-operation in IT should therefore receive the highest priority as it is globally recognised as the competitive niche of South Asia. It is recommended that a High Level Information Technology Commission be set up by the Summit to enhance regional connectivity and encourage e-governance (e.g. ameliorating market access to hill farmers with better information on prices for different mountain products etc.).
The Commission should be asked to consider how the digital divide can be narrowed down between regions, communities and gender; what technical collaboration may be engaged for the benefit of all; and how intellectual poverty rights can be protected.
Similarly, its scope for poverty alleviation and maximising the access of the poor to decision-centres should be examined. Establishing pro-poor accountability for pro-poor policies as well as how it may help to eradicate mass illiteracy should be examined along with the scope for IT to be developed as a strategic tool for regional crisis management from natural disasters. Furthermore, the Commission should lay down the minimum infrastructural requirements that each nation should have to redress the digital divide.
Globalisation and mountain societies. How to effectively embrace globalisation is the strategic challenge for all SAARC nations, especially the least developed and landlocked ones. Globalisation has to be embraced with the active participation of local governments and local communities in order to live up to Michael Porter’s call to ‘think global and act local’ successfully. How to safeguard local cultures and promote the human rights of indigenous peoples and social minorities are the tasks ahead for all of us. This calls forth sub-processes for glocalisation of the globalisation process so that there is justice for, and inclusion of, all.
There is a vital need for balanced ecological development across national borders to scientifically manage bio-diversity and watersheds and to countervail the excesses of globalisation arising in forms such as the homogenisation of products, markets, tastes and, ultimately, cultures. Physical and biological diversity are the stuff of mountains. These are also their global niches that must be respected for sustainable development of mountain societies.
Provide human security
South Asia is the land of Lord Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi, two apostles of peace and non-violence. If national security is the responsibility of the nation state let the South Asian civil society be the protector of human security against all forms of violence and oppression as its humanitarian duty.
The media have the responsibility to play their due part, especially in bringing to the fore the plight of the internally and externally displaced persons, generally; but especially must they play their part in addressing the plight of children-be they exploited as child soldiers, child prostitutes, child labour, or in cases of widespread discrimination against the girl child. Equally so, we look to the media to inform in respect of honour killing, casteism and untouchability, dowry deaths, inter-racial and inter -caste marriage, bonded labour or, indeed, where unscrupulous business produce and trade fake drugs cause the death of unfortunate individuals.
Conclusions
1. Civil society is as good as the ability to mobilise public opinion on the basis of moral power and emotional power drawn from our common civilisation. The business community stands at the cross roads between so-called Track I (power politics) and Track II (moral and emotional power and influence), with links to both and with the power of capital based on the precepts of corporate social responsibility.
2. Civil society and business community participation should be invited into the various Technical Committees for the Secretariat’s Integrated Programme of Action as a sign of maturity and trust in a true spirit of partnership. Better yet, create new joint forums for WTO, environment and international finance to strengthen SAARC’s negotiating capacity in the multilateral arena through stakeholder consultation with the business community and civil society.
3.Civil society has largely comprised non-governmental organisations (NGOs) consisting chiefly of retired bureaucrats, failed bureaucrats or people who could not enter the bureaucracy. This must change for freshness, creativity and innovation within SAARC and for which the Secretariat must be open and have the widest possible outreach, which is possible in this information age through the utilisation of the internet, promotion of e-governance, and development of e-citizens targeting our youth.
4. Last, but not least, let a vibrant South Asian civil society-a society that has actually kept alive the SAARC process in the recent years of regional rupture-now turn its attention to human security for the protection of the individual’s right to freedom, liberty and creativity.
(Concluded)Posted on: 2004-01-07 02:18
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