Source: The Hindu
Why in News?
Recently, India presided over the virtual Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where leaders advocated for the establishment of a "more representative" and multipolar world order in the global interest.
During this 23rd Summit, Iran officially joined the SCO as the Ninth Member Country.
The theme of India's chairpersonship of SCO is 'Towards a SECURE SCO’, which is derived from the acronym coined by the Indian PM at the 2018 SCO Qingadao Summit.
It stands for: S: Security, E: Economic development, C: Connectivity, U: Unity, R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, E: Environmental protection.
What are the Key Highlights of the 23rd SCO Summit?
New Delhi Declaration:
The New Delhi Declaration was signed by the member nations, which states that the international community must come together to "counter the activities of terrorist, separatist and extremist groups, paying special attention to preventing the spread of religious intolerance, aggressive nationalism, ethnic and racial discrimination, xenophobia, ideas of fascism and chauvinism."
Joint Statements:
The leaders adopted two thematic joint statements - one on cooperation in countering the radicalisation leading to separatism, extremism, and terrorism & the second one cooperation in the field of digital transformation.
New Pillars of Cooperation:
India has created five new pillars and focus area for cooperation in the SCO, which include,
- Startups and Innovation
- Traditional Medicine
- Youth Empowerment
- Digital Inclusion
- Shared Buddhist Heritage
India's Reservations on BRI:
India refused to be part of the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) of the SCO members’ economic strategy statement, mentioning “interested member states’.
India's opposition to the BRI stems from its inclusion of projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), which India considers a violation of its sovereignty.
Indian Prime Minister’s Address:
The Indian PM highlighted the significance of connectivity for enhancing mutual trade and trust among SCO member states.
However, he stressed the need to uphold the fundamental principles of the SCO charter, specifically respecting member states' sovereignty and regional integrity.
Other Perspectives:
- The Indian PM criticized countries that employ Cross-Border Terrorism as an instrument of their policies and provide shelter to terrorists, urging the SCO not to hesitate in condemning such nations and emphasized the importance of consistency in addressing these critical issues.
- The Chinese President, while celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the BRI, mentioned his new Global Security Initiative (GSI), calling for political resolutions to international and regional conflicts to establish a solid security shield in the region.
- He urged SCO members to formulate foreign policies independently and remain vigilant against external attempts to instigate a new Cold War or camp-based confrontation.
- The Russian President, attending his first multilateral gathering since the failed rebellion by the Wagner Group, indirectly attributed Ukraine's anti-Russian sentiment to external forces supplying weapons to the country.
- He emphasized Russia's resilience against external pressures, sanctions, and provocations, citing the unity of Russian political circles and society against attempted armed rebellions.
What is Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
About:
- SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization.
- It’s a political, economic and military organization aiming to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.
- It was created in 2001.
- The SCO Charter was signed in 2002 and entered into force in 2003.
Objectives:
- Strengthening mutual trust and neighborliness 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.
Structure:
Heads of State Council: The supreme SCO body which decides its internal functioning and its interaction with other States & international organisations, and considers international issues.
Heads of Government Council: Approves the budget, considers and decides upon issues related to economic spheres of interaction within SCO.
Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs: Considers issues related to day-to-day activities.
Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS): Established to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism.
SCO Secretariat:
Based in Beijing to provide informational, analytical & organizational support.
Official language:
The official working language of the SCO Secretariat is Russian and Chinese.
