UPSC Issue at a Glance | Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and India

What is the issue?

UPSC Syllabus: 

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Regional groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests, and important international institutions.

Other areas of relevance: UPSC Aspirants will also find it useful in Essays, and Current affairs for their Personality tests.

Question 1: What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation. The main objectives of the SCO are to promote good relations among member countries, strengthen mutual confidence, make collective efforts to maintain peace, security, and stability in the region, and promote effective cooperation in various fields such as trade and economy, science and technology, culture, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection, etc. 

The organisation also aims to move towards the establishment of a new, democratic, just, and rational political and economic international order.

Member Countries

The member countries are India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. Belarus joined SCO as the 10th member on 4th July 2024. Afghanistan and Mongolia hold Observer Status. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Türkiye and UAE  have a dialogue partner status.

Points to Ponder: 

— Why are countries eager to join the SCO?

— How has Iran’s membership affected the dynamics of SCO countries?

Question 2: How has the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation evolved?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation originated from the “Shanghai Five” established 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. It was a political association based on the Agreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field in the Border Area and the Agreement on the Mutual Reduction of Armed Forces in the Border Area. 

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 SCO was initially focused on collaborating within Central Asia to address issues such as terrorism, separatism, and extremism. The Charter of the SCO was signed at the St. Petersburg Summit in June 2002 and became effective on September 19, 2003. This charter outlines the organisation’s objectives, principles, structure, and primary areas of activity. Additionally, in 2006, the SCO announced plans to combat international drug trafficking as a means to finance global terrorism. 

In September 2003, the heads of the SCO member states signed a 20-year Programme of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation. The programme aims to establish a free trade zone within the territory of the SCO member countries by revitalising the process of creating a favourable environment for trade and investment.

India and Pakistan became full members of the organisation in 2017 at the meeting of the Heads of State Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Astana. In 2023, the status of a full member of the Organisation was granted to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This time, Belarus became the 10th member of the organisation. 

Points to Ponder: 

— Are there any criteria for becoming a full member of SCO?

Question 3: How does the SCO work and what are the key highlights of the SCO Summit 2024?

The SCO’s highest decision-making body is the Heads of State Council (HSC). It meets once a year to make decisions and provide instructions on all important issues regarding SCO activity. A meeting of the HSC is chaired by the head of State organising the meeting. 

Besides HSC, the Heads of Government Council (HGC) meets once a year to discuss a multilateral cooperation strategy and priority directions within the organisation’s framework, to address important cooperation issues in economic and other areas, and to approve the organisation’s annual budget. 

The organisation has two permanent bodies: the Secretariat in Beijing, China and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent. The SCO Secretary-General and RATS Executive Committee Director are appointed by the HSC for a period of three years.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar delivering India’s statement at the Summit of SCO Council of Heads of States on behalf of PM Modi, in Astana (PTI)

Astana Declaration

According to the Official website of the SCO (eng.sectsco.org)

— The Member States will adopt the SCO initiative on World Unity for Just Peace, Harmony and Development, which they invite the international community to join.

— The Member States do not take part in any decisions that are aimed at interfering in internal affairs and contradict international law.

— The Member States noted that the UN’s prestige and efficiency can be strengthened by increasing the representation of developing countries through a comprehensive reform of the UN.

— The Member States reaffirm that Central Asia represents the core part of the SCO.

— While reaffirming their firm commitment to combatting terrorism, separatism and extremism, the Member States emphasise the unacceptability of the attempts to use terrorist, separatist and extremist groups for self-serving purposes. They call on the international community to push for achieving consensus on the adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on Combatting International Terrorism within the UN.

— The SCO Chairmanship has been passed to the People’s Republic of China for the forthcoming period. The next meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council will take place in the People’s Republic of China in 2025.

Points to Ponder: 

— What were the key highlights of the SCO Summit 2023?

Question 4: What is the significance of the SCO for India?

SCO is one of the few international organisations which deal with security issues and primarily has Asian members. The SCO holds great significance for India.

1. Forum for Cooperation with Central Asian Countries: The membership of SCO allows India to participate in a forum which enhances its scope of cooperation with Central Asian countries, which have not had particularly close relations with India since their formation in 1991. It also matters to maintain communication with major regional actors on common security issues.

Shubhajit Roy Writes-

SCO membership also bolsters India’s status as a major pan-Asian player, which is boxed in the South Asian paradigm.

2. Countering Terrorism: Shubhajit Roy Writes- “For India, two important objectives are counter-terrorism and connectivity. These sit well with the SCO’s main objective of working cooperatively against the “three evils”. India wants access to intelligence and information from SCO’s counter-terrorism body, the Tashkent-based Regional Anti-Terror Structure (RATS). RATS provides access to non-Pakistan-centred counter-terrorism information there.”

3. Balancing Chinese Dominance in the Region: The SCO provides India with opportunities for countering the dominance of China in the region. Nirupama Subramanian Writes— “Moscow sees India’s presence in the SCO as a potential countervailing force to Chinese dominance of Central Asia. It was Russia that began pushing for India’s membership of the group, around the time that China’s Xi Jinping launched his Belt and Road Initiative in Kazakhstan.”

4. Closer Indian-Russian Cooperation: SCO has provided Delhi with a forum to play up its proximity to Moscow. Russia supported India’s full membership in the SCO during the 2016 Tashkent Summit. This gesture by Russia demonstrated that Russia is a reliable friend to India in the region.

In summary, we can say that India’s membership in the SCO enhances its international standing and allows it to promote a multilateral global order. SCO provides India with greater access to the Central Asian member countries and is crucial for India’s Connect Central Asia Policy.

Points to Ponder: 

— How India’s membership of QUAD and SCO is an irreconcilable contradiction?

— What is India’s Connect Central Asia Policy? 

Question 5: What are the shortcomings of the SCO?

SCO veterans describe the SCO as a “diplomatic battlefield”. The challenge for India is using the SCO to further its interests instead of getting trapped. Some of the shortcomings of SCO are:

1. Disputes among the member countries: While the SCO is not a forum for bilateral disputes, certain bilateral divergences, differences, and disputes have invariably cast a shadow on the grouping, raising the question of the relevance of the organisation given the difficulty in managing ties among the partners.

C. Raja Mohan Writes— “If the main objective of the SCO was to promote peace in Eurasia, its ability to cope with the intra-state and inter-state conflicts among the member states is now under scrutiny. To make matters more complicated, Russia’s war in Ukraine is raising questions about Moscow’s capacity to sustain primacy in its backyard. Meanwhile, China’s rise is increasing the prospects for Beijing’s emergence as the dominant force in inner Asia.”

2. Competition for dominance between China and Russia: China and Russia dominate the SCO.

Nirupama Subramanian Writes– “While the West views the SCO as a cosy club run by China and ally Russia, those familiar with the workings of the group describe the forum as a venue where the two dominant powers are in competition with each other for influence. Four of the five Central Asian republics are members of SCO. Russia has viewed these resource-rich republics, that were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union, as its strategic backyard. But it has not been able to stop a growing Chinese footprint over the region, which has been driven both by strategic economic and security reasons. The competition has been all the more apparent as Beijing’s outreach to the Central Asian 5, or C5, caught momentum with the Belt and Road Initiative, and accelerated over the last year during Russia’s preoccupation with its war in Ukraine.”

3. Divergent Interests of Member Countries: The member states of the SCO have a wide range of interests and objectives. This can make it difficult to establish an agreement on a variety of topics, limiting the organisation’s effectiveness.

India has strong ties with Russia, Iran, and the Central Asian countries. While differences with Beijing and Islamabad are likely to pose a challenge, it is important for New Delhi to make sure that its ties with other SCO countries, especially those in Central Asia, get a boost through this grouping.

Points to Ponder: 

— What steps should be taken to make SCO efficient in maintaining regional peace and stability?

Post Read Questions

Prelims

(1) Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2022)

1. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

2. Missile Technology Control Regime

3. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

India is a member of which of the above?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

(2) Which among the following countries are not the members of SCO?

1. Kazakhstan

2. Kyrgyzstan

3. Mongolia

4. Turkmenistan

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and  3 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1 and 2 only

(3) Consider the following statements:

1. India and Pakistan became full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2017.

2. Shanghai Five consisted of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

(4) Consider the following countries:

1. India

2. Mongolia

3. Russia

4. Kyrgyzstan

5.Romania

How many of the countries given above are full-time member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)?

(a) Only two

(b) Only three

(c) Only four

(d) All five

Mains

1. Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India? (UPSC CSE 2021)

2. What is the significance of SCO? With the changing geopolitical dynamics, what are the emerging challenges for it?

(Source: Explained: What SCO summit means for India’s global and regional interests, SCO meet in Goa, India and the SCO, C Raja Mohan writes: SCO meet highlights China’s growing role in inner Asia, India’s challenge, EAM Jaishankar attends SCO Summit, eng.sectsco.org)

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