South Asia must go for quick transformation: INSA
Monday, 11 August 2008
The pioneers of "Imagine a New South Asia" (INSA) which is emerging as a new movement in SAARC member states have emphasised the need for concrete actions leading to creating an economic union and common financial and political institutions in the region, reports BSS.
"South Asia must see quick transformation from the past isolation," said Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed Sunday briefing journalists on the outcome of the month's INSA conference in Kandy.
INSA is having national committee in all South Asian countries. The Kandy meeting took place immediately before the just concluded SAARC summit in Colombo to bring pressure on the regional leadership to act for change.
Kholiquzzaman outlined the results of the Kandy conference in the press briefing dubbed as 'Colombo declaration.'
He said, the conference was participated by delegates from all SAARC member states comprising politicians, law makers, writers, journalists, trade union leaders and representatives of grassroots level organisations.
Former foreign secretary Mostafa Faruque Mohammad, media personality Nowajish Ali Khan, Action Aid Bangladesh country director Farah Kabir and president of Karmajibi Nari Shirin Akhtar also spoke on the occasion.
Kholiquzzaman said, the Colombo declaration had called for creating the 'regional customs union' by 2012 and the 'economic union' by 2020 accelerating the process of free trade regime under SAFTA framework.
The SAARC region should have also a common currency and common financial institutions including a South Asian Development Bank, he said adding, it was important to reduce dependence on the domination of neo-liberal capitalist institutions like the World Bank (WB), IMF or the WTO.
South Asia should have a common parliament to slowly curve out a People's Union of South Asia, the declaration said adding, it should have also a human rights charter, human rights commission, minority commission, a court of justice and such other institutions to give access to fair treatment to all its citizens.
Democratic institutions should be deepened in member states and countries where it was facing impediments should work to restore it, the declaration said.
"South Asia must see quick transformation from the past isolation," said Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed Sunday briefing journalists on the outcome of the month's INSA conference in Kandy.
INSA is having national committee in all South Asian countries. The Kandy meeting took place immediately before the just concluded SAARC summit in Colombo to bring pressure on the regional leadership to act for change.
Kholiquzzaman outlined the results of the Kandy conference in the press briefing dubbed as 'Colombo declaration.'
He said, the conference was participated by delegates from all SAARC member states comprising politicians, law makers, writers, journalists, trade union leaders and representatives of grassroots level organisations.
Former foreign secretary Mostafa Faruque Mohammad, media personality Nowajish Ali Khan, Action Aid Bangladesh country director Farah Kabir and president of Karmajibi Nari Shirin Akhtar also spoke on the occasion.
Kholiquzzaman said, the Colombo declaration had called for creating the 'regional customs union' by 2012 and the 'economic union' by 2020 accelerating the process of free trade regime under SAFTA framework.
The SAARC region should have also a common currency and common financial institutions including a South Asian Development Bank, he said adding, it was important to reduce dependence on the domination of neo-liberal capitalist institutions like the World Bank (WB), IMF or the WTO.
South Asia should have a common parliament to slowly curve out a People's Union of South Asia, the declaration said adding, it should have also a human rights charter, human rights commission, minority commission, a court of justice and such other institutions to give access to fair treatment to all its citizens.
Democratic institutions should be deepened in member states and countries where it was facing impediments should work to restore it, the declaration said.