NSU Research Contributions
Title : Constraints of the Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area and SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services Militating against Sub-regional Trade Proliferation in South Asia
Authors : Md. Rizwanul Islam.
| Journal Article Title: Brigham Young University International Law & Management Review. | Volume Number: 7 | Publication Year : 2010 | Issue Number: 1 |
| Index: other (Hein Online, Lexis Nexis, Westlaw) | Ranking: No Ranking | ISSN (Print): 15555070 | Publisher Name: Brigham Young University Law School / BYU Law Digital Commons. |
| Pages : 1-35 | |||
| ISSN (Online): 21518997 | |||
| Funding Source : None |
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Direct Sustainable Development Goals : SDG8 Decent Work & Economic Growth SDG17 Partnership for the Goals |
Indirect Sustainable Development Goals : SDG10 Reduced Inequality SDG16 Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions |
Sustainable Development Sub Goals : Increase trade support for least developed countries Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system Increase developing countries’ exports Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms |
| Impact statement: This article examines why SAFTA and the SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services have not meaningfully advanced regional and sub-regional trade integration in South Asia. It argues that overlapping bilateral preferential trade agreements among SAFTA parties act as major obstacles to deeper intra-regional trade and should be removed, while also emphasizing the importance of stronger trade facilitation and more coherent regional legal frameworks. The article contributes to scholarship on South Asian economic integration by identifying legal and structural constraints that limit the effectiveness of regional trade arrangements and by highlighting the need for more coordinated and development-oriented trade governance. | Collaboration: None | Keywords: SAFTA, SAARC, trade in services, South Asia, regional integration, preferential trade agreements, sub-regional trade, internati |
