The boundaries and the names shown and the designations used on the map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

In the case of the Maldives, the introduction of planned development in the early 1980s, with its focus on sustainable socio-economic progress within a liberal economic framework, has been very successful. Abject poverty is non-existent, as indicators recorded by the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Index and the findings of the United Nations Committee for Development Planning show. However, vulnerability is a major problem because of geographic dispersal of island communities, diseconomies of scale and a fragile ecosystem. A poverty and vulnerability assessment survey is being carried out and would provide a further basis for policies of mitigation.

In 1995, a national poverty alleviation coordinating committee was established, in pursuance of SAARC's Agenda. A number of activities in community development were carried out in several atolls, and the national development plan has allocated more activities on poverty reduction.

SAARC acts as a catalyst in encouraging States to share experiences and expertise that would facilitate success. To strengthen institutional capacity to undertake this process, a three-tier mechanism of officials and ministers was set up in 1995, the year declared as the "SAARC Year for Poverty Eradication", and the Ninth SAARC Summit in Male designated 1997 as the "SAARC Year for Participatory Governance". The aim was to eradicate poverty through social mobilization.

The success of the scheme would require a supportive international environment. The member countries of SAARC rank quite low in the Human Development Index, and many countries of the region are among the least developed in the world. Therefore, the Seventh Summit, in adopting target 2002, called for a "new dialogue" with donors, focusing on poverty eradication. As a follow-up, cooperation agreements were signed with UNDP and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in order to pursue activities to enhance the capability of SAARC member States to address the problem.

Needless to say, long-term success in poverty eradication can only be achieved through economic development. In view of this, considerable emphasis has been given to economic cooperation that would provide practical benefits to the people of the region. In this regard, SAARC's broader agenda in the socio-economic fields, such as in the creation of a free trade area by the year 2001, is of crucial importance.

In order to eradicate poverty, a multi-pronged approach is necessary. While action is taken at the national level, effective steps must be taken to develop the economies of member States so that eradication of poverty becomes self-reliant and sustainable. Only then can social mobilization succeed in breaking through the vicious cycle of poverty, illiteracy, disease and despair. Target 2002 is the challenge, an agenda of gigantic proportions. South Asia cannot realize its full potential until that of its least fortunate individuals is also achieved.

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"In order to eradicate poverty, a multi-pronged approach is necessary. While action is taken at the national level, effective steps must be taken to develop the economies of member States so that eradication of poverty becomes self-reliant and sustainable"

— President Gayoom.