Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Background, Member states and India’s Association

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a regional intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai, China on June 15, 2001. The organization aims to promote cooperation on a wide range of issues including economic, political, and security matters among its member countries. The SCO’s main objectives are to enhance regional security, maintain stability, and facilitate economic development among its member states. Initially, the organization was formed by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Since its inception, the SCO has expanded its scope and currently includes nine member states, three observer states, and six dialogue partners.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 2: International Relations- Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Context

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s 22nd annual summit of heads of state took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 15 and 16, 2022.

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Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Agenda of the SCO Meeting

Member States will deliberate on-

• Strengthening cooperation in preventing and combating the growing threat of trafficking in persons, especially women and children;
• Exchange of information and best practices in the field of laws;
• Cooperation amongst the educational training institutions and anti-trafficking bodies of the SCO Member States.

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Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Key Points

• About SCO: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization created through SCO Charter in 2002 and entered into force in 2003.
  • Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.
  • Type: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization.
  • SCO Secretariat: Shanghai, China.
  • Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS): Tashkent
• Mandate: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) aims to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- India’s association with SCO

• Observer state: India was made observer state in 2005 and was generally participated in the Inter-ministerial meetings of the SCO grouping.
• Member state: India along with Pakistan was upgraded to the member state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2017.
• India assumes the SCO Presidency in 2023.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Member States

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) comprises nine member states (recently, Iran has been accepted as the ninth full member) namely-

1. India,
2. Kazakhstan,
3. China,
4. Kyrgyzstan
5. Pakistan,
6. Russia
7. Tajikistan
8. Uzbekistan
9. Iran

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Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Observer States

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) counts three observer states, namely-

1. Afghanistan
2. Belarus,
3. Mongolia

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Dialogue Partners

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has six dialogue partners, namely-

1. Azerbaijan,
2. Armenia,
3. Cambodia,
4. Nepal,
5. Turkey
6. Sri Lanka.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)- Key Goals

• Strengthening mutual trust and neighborliness among the member states;
• Promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology, and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas;
• Making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security, and stability in the region; and
• Moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair, and rational new international political and economic order.

 Facts about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Group

• The SCO was established in Shanghai, China in 2001 by six founding member states: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
  The SCO aims to promote cooperation on economic, political, and security issues among its member states.
• The SCO has expanded since its establishment and currently includes nine member states: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Iran and Uzbekistan.
• The SCO also has four observer states: Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia, and six dialogue partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.
• The SCO’s main areas of focus include economic cooperation, security and counter-terrorism, and cultural and educational exchanges.
• The SCO has a secretariat based in Beijing, China, and conducts regular summits and ministerial meetings among its member states.
• The SCO has been involved in regional security and stability issues, such as the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, and separatism.

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