SAARC REGIONAL CONVENTION ON SUPPRESSION OF TERRORISM
THE MEMBER STATES OF THE SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR
REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC)
MINDFUL of the principles of cooperation enshrined in the SAARC Charter;
RECALLING that at the Dhaka Summit on December 7-8, 1985, the Heads of State or Government of
the member States of the SAARC recognised the seriousness of the problem of terrorism as it affects the
security and stability of the region;
ALSO RECALLING the Bangalore Summit Declaration of 17th November, 1986, in which the Heads of
State or Government of SAARC agreed that cooperation among SAARC States was vital if terrorism was
to be prevented and eliminated from the region; unequivocally condemned all acts, methods and practices
of terrorism as criminal and deplored their impact on life and property, socio-economic development,
political stability, regional and international peace and cooperation; and recognised the importance of the
principles laid down in UN Resolution 262 (XXV) which among others required that each State should
refrain from organising, instigating, assisting or participating in acts of civil strife or terrorist acts in
another State or acquiescing in organised activities within its territory directed towards the commission of
such acts;
AWARE of the danger posed by the spread of terrorism and its harmful effect on peace, cooperation,
friendship and good neighbourly relations and which could also jeopardise the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of States;
HAVE RESOLVED to take effective measures to ensure that perpetrators of terroristic acts do not
escape prosecution and punishment by providing for their extradition or prosecution, and to this end;
HAVE AGREED as follows:—
ARTICLE I
Subject to the overall requirements of the law of extradition, conduct constituting any of the
following offences, according to the law of the Contracting State, shall be regarded as terroristic and for
the purpose of extradition shall not be regarded as a political offence or as an offence connected with a
political offence or as an offence inspired by political motives:—
(a) an offence within the scope of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of
Aircraft, signed at the Hauge, on December 16, 1970;
(b) an offence within the scope of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Act, against
the Safety of Civil Aviations signed at Montreal, on September 23, 1971;
(c) an offence within the scope of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes
against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents, signed at New York, on
December 14, 1973;
(d) an offence within the scope of any Convention to which the SAARC member States
concerned are parties and which obliges the parties to prosecute or grant extradition;
(e) murder, manslaughter, assault causing bodily harm, kidnapping hostage-taking and offences
relating to firearms, weapons, explosives and dangerous substances when used as a means to
perpetrate indiscriminate violence involving death or serious bodily injury to persons or serious
damage to property;
(f) an attempt or conspiracy to commit an offence described in sub-paragraphs (a) to (e), aiding,
abetting or counselling the commission of such an offence or participating as an accomplice in the
offences so described.
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ARTICLE II
For the purpose of extradition between SAARC member States, any two or more Contracting States
may, by agreement, decide to include any other serious offence involving violence, which shall not be
regarded as a political offence or an offence connected with a political offence or an offence inspired by
political motives.
ARTICLE III
1. The provisions of all extradition treaties and arrangements applicable between Contracting States
are hereby amended as between Contracting States to the extent that they are incompatible with this
Convention.
2. For the purpose of this Convention and to the extent that any offence referred to in Article I or
agreed to in terms of Article II in not listed as an extraditable offence in any extradition treaty existing
between Contracting States, it shall be deemed to be included as such therein.
3. Contracting States undertake to include these offences as extraditable offences in any future
extradition treaty to be concluded between them.
4. If a Contracting State which makes extradition conditional on the existence of a treaty receives a
request for extradition from another Contracting State with which it has no extradition treaty, the
requested State may, at its option, consider this Convention as the basis for extradition in respect of the
offences set forth in Article I or agreed to in terms of Article II. Extradition shall be subject to the law of
the requested State.
5. Contracting States which do not make extradition conditional on the existence of a treaty, shall
recognise the offences set forth in Article I or agreed to in terms of Article II as extraditable offences
between themselves, subject to the law of the requested State.
ARTICLE IV
A Contracting State in whose territory a person suspected of having committed an offence referred to
in Article I or agreed to in terms of Article II is found and which has received a request for extradition
from another Contracting State, shall, if it does not extradite that person, submit the case without
exception and without delay, to its competent authorities, so that prosecution may be considered. These
authorities shall take their decisions in the same manner as in the case of any offence of a serious nature
under the law of that State.
ARTICLE V
For the purpose of Article IV, each Contracting State may take such measures as it deems
appropriate, consistent with its national laws, subject to reciprocity, to exercise its jurisdiction in the case
of an offence under Article I or agreed to in terms of Article II.
ARTICLE VI
A Contracting State in whose territory an alleged offender is found, shall, upon receiving a request for
extradition from another Contracting State, take appropriate measures, subject to its national laws, so as to
ensure his presence for purposes of extradition or prosecution. Such measures shall immediately be
notified to the requesting State.
ARTICLE VII
Contracting States shall not be obliged to extradite, if it appears to the requested State that by reason
of the trivial nature of the case or by reason of the request for the surrender or return of a fugitive offender
not being made in good faith or in the interests of justice or for any other reason it is unjust or inexpedient
to surrender or return the fugitive offender.
ARTICLE VIII
1. Contracting States shall, subject to their national laws, afford one another the greatest measure of
mutual assistance in connection with proceedings brought in respect of the offences referred to in Article I
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or agreed to in terms of Article II, including the supply of all evidence at their disposal necessary for the
proceedings.
2. Contracting States shall cooperate among themselves, to the extent permitted by their national
laws, through consultations between appropriate agencies, exchange of information, intelligence and
expertise and such other cooperative measures as may be appropriate, with a view to preventing terroristic
activities through precautionary measures.
ARTICLE IX
1. The Convention shall be open for signature by the member States of SAARC at the SAARC
Secretariat in Kathmandu.
2. It shall be subject to ratification. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the
Secretary-General of SAARC.
ARTICLE X
This Convention shall enter into force on the fifteenth day following the date of the deposit of the
seventh Instrument of Ratification with the Secretary-General of SAARC.
ARTICLE XI
The Secretary-General of SAARC shall be the depository of this Convention and shall notify member
States of signatures to this Convention and all deposits of Instruments of Ratification. The Secretary
General, shall transmit certified copies of such Instruments to each member State. The Secretary-General
shall also inform member States of the date on which this Convention will have entered into force in
accordance with Article X.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto by their respective
Governments, have signed this Convention.
DONE at Kathmandu on this fourth day of November one thousand nine hundred and eighty-seven, in
eight originals, in the English language, all texts being equally authentic.