PRESENTATION ON SHANGHAI

COOPERATION ORGANISATION
SHANGHAI COOPERATION
ORGANISATION
INTRODUCTION
The Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO), or Shanghai
Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic,
and security alliance, the creation of
which was announced on 15 June 2001
in Shanghai, China by the leaders
of China,  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, 
Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Continued...
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter, formally
establishing the organisation, was signed in June 2002 and
entered into force on 19 September 2003. The original five
members, with the exclusion of Uzbekistan, were
previously members of the Shanghai Five group,
founded on 26 April 1996.
The Shanghai Five Group emerged from a series of border
demarcation and demilitarization talks post USSR
disintegration.
Since then, the organisation has expanded its membership
to eight states when India and Pakistan joined SCO as full
members on 9 June 2017 at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan
Why not Turkmenistan?
Since its independence, Turkmenistan has
adhered to the principles of “positive
neutrality” in its foreign policy.
On Oct 22,1995 Turkmenistan
for the first time conveyed to the UN is
decision to adhere to a policy of neutrality
in its foreign affairs.
Guiding Principle – Based on Shanghai Spirit

Internal policy based on the principles of:

1. mutual trust,
2. mutual benefit,
3. equality,
4. mutual consultations,
5. respect for cultural diversity,
6. and a desire for common development.
External policy in accordance with the
principles of non-alignment, non-targeting any
third country, and openness
Objectives
Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness
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.
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
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 & organisational support.
Strengths of SCO
The SCO covers 40%of the global population, nearly
20% of the global GDP and 22% of the world’s land
mass.
The SCO has a strategically important role in Asia due to its
geographical significance - this enables it to control the
Central Asia and limit the American influence in region.
By consolidating four nuclear powers—half of the world’s
nuclear States—into a single regional organization, SCO
serves as an additional deterrent within the system
established to maintain the world’s strategic balance of
power and political stability.
Some experts consider SCO as counterweight to the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Expanding agenda
Initially,
focus was laid on efforts to curb
terrorism, separatism and extremism in
Central Asia.
2006- Widened to include International
Drug Trafficking
2008-Bringing back stability in
Afghanistan
Now it includes cultural, economic,
health cooperation as well.
 Activities
Cooperation on security
 The SCO is primarily centered on its member nations' Central Asian security-
related concerns, often describing the main threats it confronts as
being terrorism, separatism and extremism. However evidence is growing that its
activities in the area of social development of its member states is increasing
fast.
 At SCO summit, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 16–17 June 2004, the Regional
Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) was established. On 21 April 2006, the SCO
announced plans to fight cross-border drug crimes under the counter-terrorism
rubric.
 In October 2007, the SCO signed an agreement with the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO), in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, to broaden cooperation on
issues such as security, crime, and drug trafficking.
The organisation is also redefining cyberwarfare,
saying that the dissemination of information
"harmful to the spiritual, moral and cultural
spheres of other states" should be considered a
"security threat". An accord adopted in 2009
defined "information war", in part, as an effort by a
state to undermine another's "political, economic,
and social systems". The Diplomat reported in
2017 that SCO has foiled 600 terror plots and
extradited 500 terrorists through RATS. The 36th
meeting of the Council of the RATS decided to
hold a joint anti-terror exercise, Pabbi-
Antiterror-2021, in Pakistan in 2021
 Military Activities
Over the past few years, the organisation's activities have
expanded to include increased military cooperation,
intelligence sharing, and counterterrorism.
Military exercises are regularly conducted among
members to promote cooperation and coordination against
terrorism and other external threats, and to maintain
regional peace and stability. There have been a number of
SCO joint military exercises. The first of these was held
in 2003, with the first phase taking place
in Kazakhstan and the second in China. Since then China
and Russia have teamed up for large-scale war games in
2005 (Peace Mission 2005), 2007 and 2009, under the
auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
For the first time in 2018 India and
Pakistan together took part in the SCO
military drill
In 2019, we also came across India, China
and Pakistan together taking part in a
military drill.
 Economic Cooperation
Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are also members of
the Eurasian Economic Union. A Framework Agreement to
enhance economic cooperation was signed by the SCO member
states on 23 September 2003. At the same meeting the Premier
of China , Wen Jiabao, proposed a long-term objective to
establish a free trade area in the SCO, while other more
immediate measures would be taken to improve the flow of
goods in the region. A follow up plan with 100 specific actions
was signed one year later, on 23 September 2004.
On 26 October 2005, during the Moscow Summit of the SCO,
the Secretary General of the Organisation said that the
SCO will prioritise joint energy projects; including in the
oil and gas sector, the exploration of
new hydrocarbon reserves, and joint use of water resources.
The creation of the SCO Interbank Consortium was also agreed
upon at that summit in order to fund future joint projects
Cultural Cooperation
Cultural cooperation also occurs in the SCO
framework. Culture ministers of the SCO met for
the first time in Beijing on 12 April 2002, signing a
joint statement for continued cooperation. The third
meeting of the Culture Ministers took place
in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 27–28 April 2006.
An SCO Arts Festival and Exhibition was held
for the first time during the Astana Summit in 2005.
Kazakhstan has also suggested an SCO folk
dance festival to take place in 2008, in Astana.
Importance for India
SECURITY
India through RATS can improve its
counterterrorism abilities by working toward
intelligence sharing, law enforcement and
developing best practices and technologies.
Through the SCO, India can also work on anti-
drug trafficking and small arms proliferation.
Cooperation on common challenges of
terrorism and radicalisation
A stable Afghanistan too is in India’s interest
Continued...
ENERGY
India being an energy deficient country with
increasing demands for energy, SCO
provides it with an opportunity to meet its
energy requirements through regional
diplomacy.
◦ Talks on the construction of stalled pipelines like
the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-
India) pipeline; IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India) pipeline
can get a much needed push through the SCO.
Continued...
TRADE
SCO provides direct access to Central
Asia – overcoming the main hindrance in
flourishing of trade between India and
Central Asia.
Economic Ties - Central Asian countries
provide India with a market for its IT,
telecommunications, banking, finance and
pharmaceutical industries.
Continued...
GEOPOLITICAL
Central Asia is a part of India's Extended
Neighbourhood – SCO provides India an opportunity
to pursue the “Connect Central Asian Policy”.
Helps India fulfil its aspiration of playing an active
role in its extended neighbourhood as well as
checking the ever growing influence of China in
Eurasia.
Platform for India to simultaneously engage with its
traditional friend Russia as well as its rivals, China
and Pakistan.
Challenges that India needs to
navigate
Pakistan’s inclusion in SCO poses potential
difficulties for India.
India’s ability to assert itself would be
limited and it may have to play second
fiddle since China and Russia are co-
founders of SCO and its dominant powers.
India may also have to either dilute its
growing partnership with the West or
engage in a delicate balancing act - as SCO
has traditionally adopted an anti-Western
posture.
 Way forward
Improving Connectivity With Central Asia: India can seek to
capitalise on Russian concerns about China exercising
disproportionate influence in Central Asia. Moreover, Central Asian
states are also keen for India to play a bigger role in the region.
◦ However, in order to succeed, India would first have to improve its own
standing in the region.
◦ In this context, the opening of Chabahar port and entry into Ashgabat
agreement should be utilized for a stronger presence in Eurasia besides a
clear focus on operationalising International North-South Transport
Corridor (INSTC).
◦ Improving Relations With China: It is imperative that India and China set
up a modus vivendi (agreement allowing conflicting parties to coexist
peacefully) for the 21st century to be viewed through the lens of an Asia
century.This sentiment was aptly reflected in Prime Minister Modi’s
statement at the 2018 Shangri La Dialogue wherein he stated: "Asia of
rivalry will hold us all back. Asia of cooperation will shape this century."
Improving Relation With Pakistan: SCO’s
emphasis on promoting economic cooperation,
trade, energy and regional connectivity should be
leveraged to improve relations with Pakistan and
persuade it to unblock India’s access to Eurasia
and provide a fillip to projects like TAPI.
Strengthening Military Corporation: In the
context of increasing terrorism in the region, it is
imperative for SCO countries to develop a
‘cooperative and sustainable security’ framework
and make the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure
more effective.
India’s stand at recent SCO Summit

Hinting at
China