SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO)

TAG: GS- 2: IR

CONTEXT: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ‘Heads of Government’ (HoG) meeting on October 15-16, 2024.

EXPLANATION:

About the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):

• SCO stands for “Shanghai Cooperation Organization”. It is an intergovernmental political, economic, and security alliance founded in 2001 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The first summit was held in Shanghai, China, in 2001.

• The SCO aims to promote cooperation and mutual support in areas such as trade, investment, energy, transportation, and security.
• The Shanghai Spirit is the core value of the SCO. It is about mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of common development among the SCO members.
• The official working language of the SCO Secretariat is Russian and Chinese.
• The main objectives of SCO are:
  • Strengthen relations among member states.
  • Promote cooperation in political affairs, economics, and trade, scientific-technical, cultural, and educational spheres as well as in energy, transportation, tourism, and environmental protection.
  • Safeguard regional peace, security, and stability.
  • Create a democratic, equitable international political and economic order.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization Composition

The membership of SCO has expanded since 2001, and it currently has eight member states.

• 1996: ‘Shanghai Five’ established by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
• 2001: After adding Uzbekistan in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed the SCO.
• 2015: At Ufa, Russia, the SCO decided to admit India and Pakistan as full members.
• 2016: India and Pakistan signed the memorandum of obligations in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), thereby starting the formal process of joining the SCO as full members.
• 2017: At Astana, India and Pakistan officially joined SCO as full members
• 2021: It was announced that Iran would become a full member of the SCO.

Members

China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan

Observers

Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia

Dialogue Partners

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Egypt, Nepal, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia

SCO Organizational Structure

The SCO consists of several internal organizations:

The Council of Heads of State

• • This is the highest decision-making body of the SCO and comprises the heads of state of all member countries.
  • It meets annually to set the overall strategic direction for the organization.

The Council of Heads of Government

• • Second-highest council in the organization.
  • Holds annual summits, at which time members discuss issues of multilateral cooperation.

The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs

• • Comprises the foreign ministers of all member countries and is responsible for coordinating the organization’s foreign policy.

The Сouncil of National Coordinators

• • Key body coordinating and managing the SCO’s current activities.
  • Conducts the necessary preparations for the meetings of the Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government, and the Council of Foreign Ministers.

The Secretariat

• • It is the administrative arm of the SCO, responsible for coordinating and implementing the decisions of the organization.
  • Based in Beijing, it is the main permanent executive body.
  • The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, and he is nominated by the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and approved by the Heads of State Council.

The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)

• • RATS is responsible for coordinating efforts among member countries to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
  • RATS is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The SCO Business Council

• • Comprises representatives from the business communities of all member countries and is responsible for promoting economic cooperation and investment among member countries.

The SCO Interbank Consortium

• • Comprises the central banks of all member countries and is responsible for promoting financial cooperation among member countries.

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/jaishankar-pakistan-sco-india-9603694/