Courtesy: MEA/Government of India
The recent SAARC Summit was once again derailed by India-Pakistan dissonances. Is it time for India to look beyond this collective? Or are there ways to overcome the distrust and address border issues, build institutions to implement common goals, and create an economic union of confident democracies?
Courtesy: PSAARC
Parallel to the official SAARC meeting was the People's SAARC in Kathmandu. Comprising NGOs, civil society leaders, and activists, the PSAARC is a platform that rejects narrow nationalism and religion in favour of a transcendent South Asian identity
Courtesy: wikimedia
Despite an early regional consensus on counter-terror, SAARC’s record in tackling terrorism remains dismal. With the widening network of terrorist groups in the subcontinent, it is imperative that India takes the lead in forging substantial counter-terrorism cooperation, particularly on the issue of financing
Courtesy: pmindia.nic.in
The 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu next week is an opportunity for member countries to start shaking off the shackles of distrust. Instead, SAARC must robustly move forward on such issues as regional connectivity, SAFTA, climate change, and security—and India can be the prime mover in building this renewed cooperation
Courtesy: Wikimedia commons
The 18th SAARC Summit will cover a wide range of issues, including connectivity, climate change, and SAFTA. A number of similar issues were discussed at the last summit—what’s been the progress since then? Given its constraints, does the association have a future? Gateway House asks and answers five questions on SAARC
Courtesy: wikimedia
After bilateral meetings, the thrust for Prime Minister Modi will now change with various multilateral summits coming up, starting with India-ASEAN and the East Asia Summit next week. These are opportunities to expand India’s regional position and economic links, and address issues such as terrorism and a rising China
Courtesy: wikimedia
Globally, metropolitan cities are becoming powerful centres that sustain entire countries. In the case of Mumbai, the government can work backwards by stitching the infrastructure and governance together. The tried-and-tested technique is to host an international institution or event. Gateway House argues that Mumbai is most appropriate to be home to the headquarters of BRICS
Courtesy: wikimediacommons
Despite staking a claim to permanent UN Security Council membership 60 years ago, India is no closer to that goal. While conflict zones remain in Africa and Asia, economic might has shifted eastwards. The West-dominated UNSC is becoming irrelevant. If India becomes a permanent member, can it influence the council’s ethos?
Courtesy: UN.org
It is evident that the UN’s institutions have lost their power to negotiate for justice. As the MDG programme draws to an end in 2015, its rhetoric must be replaced by new structures that recognise context-specific economic realities, and processes rooted in the knowledge of feminist groups all over the world
Courtesy:
With the growth of the Islamic State and of terrorist groups in Africa and other parts of the world, global coordination to combat terrorism is imperative. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the UNGA to adopt the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, but divergent national interests remain a hurdle