SCO Council of Heads Meeting
Source: Hindu
GS II: International Relation

What is discussed under SCO Council of Heads Meeting?

1. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
2. Highlights of the Meeting

Why in News?

In an apparent barb at China, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said that connectivity projects in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) region should be centred on the interests of Central Asian governments and respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

• An international body called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai.

  

• Currently, the SCO consists of:
  • Eight Member States
    • China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
  • Four Observer States
    • Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia that are interested in obtaining full membership
  • Six ‘Dialogue Partners
    • Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey
• In 2021, it was decided to begin the process of Iran becoming a full member of the SCO, and Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia were declared conversation partners.
• In addition to its ongoing collaboration with:
  • The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
  • United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
  • The UN Office on Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)
• SCO Secretariat has also established partnerships with:
  • The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
  • The International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Background of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Meeting

• The SCO Heads of Government meet annually to debate the trade and economic objectives of the group and to approve the yearly budget.
• As the new SCO Chair, India will host a summit in Delhi in the middle of 2023 that will include all SCO heads of state, including those from China and Pakistan.
• Premier Li Keqiang of China convened a virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government on November 1st, 2022.
• The SCO member country delegation chiefs discussed key initiatives to improve commercial, economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation within the group.
• Important issues relating to regional and global development were also covered.

Highlights of the Meeting

• India made clear the necessity of improved connectivity and equitable market access.
• Connectivity: The Minister for External Affairs has pushed for expanded commerce through the Iranian port of Chabahar and the International North-South Transport Corridors in order to boost bilateral trade with Central Asian countries.
• India emphasised the need for improved connectivity in the SCO area based on the importance of Central Asian governments’ interests.
• Commerce: The entire value of trade between India and SCO members is just $141 billion, but there is significant room for expansion.
• Fair market access is necessary for advancement and is in everyone’s best interests.
  • The majority of India’s trade with the SCO countries, which reached $100 billion this year, is with China.
• Nevertheless, less than $20 billion is traded with Russia.
  • Less than $2 billion in trade is conducted with Central Asian nations, while $500 million or so is exchanged with Pakistan.
• Climate Change: The Minister of External Affairs emphasised India’s commitment to addressing the issue of climate change as well as India’s achievements in this field.

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