Key Highlights from the SCO Summit 2024

Context:

Recently the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit was concluded in Astana, Kazakhstan and brought together leaders from across the region.  

Relevance:

GS II: International Relations

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Key highlights from the SCO Summit 2024
2. What is the SCO? 
3. Organizational structure of SCO

Key highlights from the SCO Summit 2024:

• Belarus Joins SCO: Belarus became the 10th member state of the SCO, expanding the organization’s reach and influence.
• Adoption of Astana Declaration: The summit adopted the Astana Declaration and approved 25 strategic agreements covering energy, security, trade, finance, and information security.
• SCO Development Strategy 2035: The Council of Heads of State approved the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, focusing on combating terrorism, separatism, extremism, anti-drug strategies, energy cooperation, economic development, and eco-tourism.
• International Cooperation: Commitments included a memorandum to combat illicit drug trafficking and an interaction plan on international information security issues.
• India-China Diplomatic Talks: India’s External Affairs Minister met with the Chinese Foreign Minister, emphasizing the need for complete disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and efforts to resolve remaining issues in Eastern Ladakh.
• Make in India Initiative: India highlighted the ‘Make in India’ initiative as a significant driver of global economic growth and expressed openness to partnering with nations, especially those in the Global South, for capacity building and economic development.
• Counterterrorism Efforts: India urged the global community to isolate countries that harbor terrorists and condone terrorism. Combating terrorism was emphasized as a foundational goal of the SCO, with India actively participating in security cooperation through the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS).
• Russian President’s Remarks: The Russian President underscored the SCO’s role in promoting a fair, multipolar world order, reflecting on the organization’s strategic objectives and global influence.

What is the SCO? 

• Founded in June 2001, it was built on the ‘Shanghai Five’, the grouping which consisted of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
• They came together in the post-Soviet era in 1996, in order to work on regional security, reduction of border troops and terrorism.
• They endowed particular focus on ‘conflict resolution’, given its early success between China and Russia, and then within the Central Asian Republics.
• Some of their prominent outcomes in this arena entail an ‘Agreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field Along the Border Areas’ (in 1996) between China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which led to an agreement on the mutual reduction of military forces on their common borders in 1997.
• It would also pitch in to help the Central Asian countries resolve some of their boundary disputes. 
• In 2001, the ‘Shanghai Five’ inducted Uzbekistan into its fold and named it the SCO, outlining its principles in a charter that promoted what was called the “Shanghai spirit” of cooperation.
• The precise assertion, combined with some of the member states’ profiles, of building a “new international political and economic order” has often led to it being placed as a counter to treaties and groupings of the West, particularly North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Member states

• India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• The SCO also has four observer states — Afghanistan, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia — of which Iran and Belarus are now moving towards full membership. 

Main goals

• Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states;
• Promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and technology, and culture.

Focus areas:

• Education, energy, transport, tourism and environmental protection.
• It also calls for joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.

Organizational structure of SCO

The SCO secretariat has two permanent bodies —

• SCO Secretariat based in Beijing 
• Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.

Other than this, the grouping consists of

Heads of State Council (HSC):

• It is the supreme decision-making body of the organisation.
• It meets annually to adopt decisions and guidelines on all important matters relevant to the organisation.

Heads of Government Council (HGC):

• The HGC (mainly including Prime Ministers) also meets annually to zero in on the organisation’s priority areas and multilateral cooperation strategy.
• It also endeavours to resolve present economic and cooperation issues alongside approving the organisation’s annual budget. 

Foreign Ministers Council:

• The Foreign Ministers Council considers issues pertaining to the day-to-day activities of the organisation, charting HSC meetings and consultations on international problems within the organisation and if required, makes statements on behalf of the SCO. 

-Source: Indian Express