The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 6th May 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

The horizon for India beyond the G-20, SCO summits

Why in News?

India’s year-long presidency of the G-20, and leadership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), should not blind us to the persisting challenges the nation faces, due to a concatenation of circumstances. It must, hence, tone down the high expectations that are being generated of reaping a rich dividend from helming the two summits. Global peace, on which India’s Prime Minister had waxed eloquent at the last G-20 summit in Indonesia, is nowhere in sight with India holding the reins.

Know about G20

• Origin:
  • The G20 was formed in 1999 in the backdrop of the financial crisis of the late 1990s that hit East Asia and Southeast Asia in particular. 
  • Its aim was to secure global financial stability by involving middle-income countries. 
• As stated by the official G20 Website: 
  • “On the advice of the G7 Finance Ministers, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors began holding meetings to discuss the response to the global financial crisis that occurred,” 
• Objectives:
  • Policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth;
  • To promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises; and
  • To create a new international financial architecture.
• Members & guests: 
  • Members: 
    • Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. 
    • Spain is also invited as a permanent guest.
  • Others: 
    • Each year, the Presidency invites guest countries, which take full part in the G20 exercise. Several international and regional organizations also participate, granting the forum an even broader representation. 

• Together, the G20 countries include: 
  • 60 percent of the world’s population, 
  • 80 percent of global GDP, and 
  • 75 percent of global trade.
• Presidency of G20 & Troika:
  • The presidency of the G20 rotates every year among members.
  • The country holding the presidency, together with the previous and next presidency-holder, forms the ‘Troika’ to ensure continuity of the G20 agenda. 

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

Introduction

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai on 15 June 2001 by six countries, People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; later expanded to eight states, with India and Pakistan joining
• Also, the SCO counts four observer states, namely the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Mongolia
• Also, the SCO has six dialogue partners, namely the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Republic of Turkey, and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
• It is an Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance
• It is the world’s largest regional organisation in geographic scope and population, covering three-fifths of the Eurasian continent, 40% of the world population, and more than 20% of global GDP
• The main objectives of the SCO are to
  • strengthen relations among member states
  • promote cooperation in political affairs, economics and trade, scientific-technical, cultural, and educational spheres as well as in energy, transportation, tourism, and environmental protection
  • safeguard regional peace, security, and stability; and
  • create a democratic, equitable international political and economic order
• The SCO’s official languages are Russian and Chinese
• The SCO has been an observer in the UN General Assembly since 2005
• SCO Secretariat has also established partnerships with
  • UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
  • International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
  • United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
  • UN Office on Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).

Structure of SCO

The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO

• It meets once a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organisation
• The SCO Heads of Government Council (HGC) meets once a year to discuss the organisation’s multilateral cooperation strategy and priority areas, to resolve current important economic and other cooperation issues, and also to approve the organisation’s annual budget
• In addition to HSC and HGC meetings, there is also a mechanism of meetings
  • at the level of heads of parliament
  • secretaries of Security Councils
  • ministers of foreign affairs, defence, emergency relief, economy, transport, culture, education, and healthcare
  • heads of law enforcement agencies and supreme and arbitration courts; and prosecutors general
• The Council of National Coordinators of SCO Member States (CNC) acts as the SCO coordination mechanism.
• The organisation has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent

How India can benefit from SCO?

• The grouping comprises India’s strategic partner and friend, Russia, two adversarial neighbours – China and Pakistan – and four important Central Asian Republics (CARs) – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• Thus, SCO presents a rare blend of history, geopolitics, cultural, civilisational and economic imperatives connecting India to Central Asia
• The key benefits for India include:
  • SCO is a channel for India to deepen ties with Russia
  • India could use the forum to monitor and counter the influence of China and Pakistan
  • The organisation could help India expand cooperation and strengthen ties with Central Asian Republics (CARs)
  • The full membership of the SCO will provide India greater visibility in the affairs of the Eurasian region which is strategically important for India
  • It will enable India, as an integral part of the Eurasian security grouping, to neutralise centrifugal forces arising from religious extremism and terrorism in the region, with greater cooperation amongst the members
  • Further, it will help India in managing much more effectively the negative impact of a Talibanised Afghanistan, especially in the post-2014 scenario
  • Finally, energy, building trade and transportation links, and dealing with traditional and non-traditional security threats could be facilitated better through the SCO mechanism

Way forward

• India considers the SCO as an important regional group to promote cooperation in various fields based on universally recognised international norms, good governance, rule of law, openness, transparency and equality
• Hence, the need for all members to stick to the principles in the charter and abide by its principles