Recently , India hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) virtual Summit, leaders called for the formation 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 is Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
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.
SCO was created in 2001 and it's Charter was signed in 2002 and entered into force in 2003.
Objective-
- Strengthening mutual trust and neighborliness among the member states.
- Promoting effective cooperation in -politics, trade & economy, research & technology and culture.
Important aspects -
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."
New Areas of Cooperation -
India has created five new pillars and focus area for cooperation in the SCO.
- Startups and Innovation
- Traditional Medicine
- Youth Empowerment
- Digital Inclusion
- Shared Buddhist Heritage
India's stand 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.
Prime Minister’s Address -
- The Indian PM highlighted the significance of connectivity for enhancing mutual trade and trust among SCO member states.
- He stressed the need to uphold the fundamental principles of the SCO charter, specifically respecting member states sovereignty and regional integrity.
Other Highlights
- 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.
