The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a regional international organization that was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It is headquartered in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation headquarter Beijing, China.
Why in the news?
The 23rd Meeting of the Heads of Government (HoG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 15 and 16.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at the meeting, highlighted key challenges the organisation is committed to combating — terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
India once again strongly reiterated its opposition to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), making it the only country in the SCO not to support the controversial connectivity project.
Key Takeaways
The origins of SCO lie in the “Shanghai Five” which was formed in 1996, consisting of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 into 15 independent countries, there were concerns in the region about extremist religious groups and ethnic tensions coming to the fore.
To manage these issues, a grouping was created for cooperation on security matters.
Building on this, SCO was established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai as an international organisation, and also included Uzbekistan as a sixth member.
The Charter of the SCO was signed at the St. Petersburg Summit in June 2002 and became effective on September 19, 2003. Additionally, in 2006, the SCO announced plans to combat international drug trafficking as a means to finance global terrorism.
Today, it consists of 10 member countries- India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, Iran joined last year, and Belarus this year. Afghanistan and Mongolia hold Observer Status.
The Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan are very important for India. The region is part of India’s extended neighbourhood, and India has strong civilisational and cultural links with the region that go back to the time of Emperor Ashoka.
The SCO provides a platform where New Delhi can interact with all these countries at multiple levels of government.
India has very important interests in this region — for security, energy, and connectivity needs, and for trade and investment. India imports 85% of its energy requirements, and Turkmenistan has the world’s fourth-largest reserves of natural gas.
Kazakhstan is the world’s largest producer of uranium ore. India also holds military exercises with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
The organisation has two permanent bodies: the Secretariat in Beijing, China and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.
RATS assists members in the preparation and staging of counter-terrorism exercises, analyses key intelligence information coming in from the member states, and shares information on terrorist movements and drug trafficking.
Objectives of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
- Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states.
- Promoting effective cooperation in -politics, trade & economy, research & technology and culture.
- Enhancing ties in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, etc.
- Maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.
- Establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political & economic order
SECURE
The theme of India’s Presidency of SCO in 2023 was SECURE which is derived from the acronym given by Prime Minister Modi at the 2018 SCO Qingdao Summit.
It stands for – S: Security, E: Economic development, C: Connectivity, U: Unity, R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and E: Environmental protection
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
Last year, China’s ambitious infrastructure funding project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) marked a decade since it was first outlined by President Xi Jinping.
President Xi Jinping announced the Silk Road Economic ‘Belt’ during his visits to Kazakhstan in 2013. The ‘Belt’ plan was to revitalise a series of trading and infrastructure routes between Asia and Europe. Connectivity through Central Asia was a key element of the initiative.
Subsequently, President Xi announced a sea trade infrastructure called the ‘Road’. This maritime ‘Road’ would connect China with Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa. The major focus has been to build ports, bridges, industry corridors, and other infrastructure throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.
For some time, together these initiatives were referred to as the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). Since 2015, it has been mostly referred to as the BRI.
India’s position on the BRI has remained relatively consistent since 2013. From the beginning, India had reservations about the BRI – mainly due to sovereignty-related issues, as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) goes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and geopolitical implications of projects in the Indian Ocean.