03-29-2024     3 رجب 1440

SCO: Challenging Times

September 18, 2022 |

The 22nd Leaders’ Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has concluded in Samarkand, Uzbekistan with takeaways for all participants in general and for India in particular. Significantly, this was the first in-person gathering of the Central Asian grouping since 2019. It was important to hold it to assess the global fallout of recent disturbing events, primarily three big ones – (1) The war between Russia and Ukraine and its impact on the West/Europe, (2) China’s act of military aggression in attempting to realign its border with India in Ladakh and New Delhi’s counter-offensive to it and (3) The US provoking China into a sabre-rattling mode vis-à-vis Taiwan over US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August. In general terms, there was clear acknowledgement that in an increasingly multi-polarised world, challenges and threats are becoming more complex, and the situation is dangerously teetering southward because of the existence of intense localised conflicts and crises, and emergence of new ones. Secondly, the global economy currently is in a volatile and uncertain state because of a widening technological and digital divide, turbulent financial market, reduction in investment flows, instability in supply chains and increased protectionist measures, besides other barriers to international trade. It was acutely felt that equitable and effective international cooperation and sustainable economic development can be achieved only if members seriously address challenges posed by global climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic growth and well-being, food security and implementation of 2030 sustainable development goals. That the Samarkand (SCO) Declaration placed emphasis on recommitment to having a “more representative, democratic, just and multipolar world order” based on “universally recognised principles of international law… and sustainable security” is one major takeaway. Another key takeaway was approving the comprehensive plan for implementation of the 2007 Treaty on Long-term Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation between SCO Member States for the period 2023-2027. This places the onus on member states (China, Pakistan and Russia specifically) to ensure peace and security; settle their international, regional and bilateral conflicts through dialogue. Concern over security threats posed by terrorism, separatism and extremism was also highlighted and stress placed on implementing the 2022-2024 SCO Programme on countering them consistently. Countering terrorism and extremism was one of the dominant features of the Declaration, i.e. there were ten references to it out of the 121 points listed. For India, the takeaways were equally important. It was heartening to see Prime Minister Modi’s four-and-a-half minute opening remarks being listened to with rapt attention, suggesting that India’s standing globally is assured. Without taking names, PM Modi made no bones about the fact that China, Pakistan and Russia need to look at themselves in the mirror and revisit their reasons for creating instability in their environs and beyond. To do this in the presence of Xi Jinping, Shehbaz Sharif & Vladmir Putin at a time when sustaining ties with Beijing and Moscow in particular is a must takes some doing. The next SCO meeting under India’s presidency in 2023 should, therefore, tmake for an interesting watch

SCO: Challenging Times

September 18, 2022 |

The 22nd Leaders’ Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has concluded in Samarkand, Uzbekistan with takeaways for all participants in general and for India in particular. Significantly, this was the first in-person gathering of the Central Asian grouping since 2019. It was important to hold it to assess the global fallout of recent disturbing events, primarily three big ones – (1) The war between Russia and Ukraine and its impact on the West/Europe, (2) China’s act of military aggression in attempting to realign its border with India in Ladakh and New Delhi’s counter-offensive to it and (3) The US provoking China into a sabre-rattling mode vis-à-vis Taiwan over US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August. In general terms, there was clear acknowledgement that in an increasingly multi-polarised world, challenges and threats are becoming more complex, and the situation is dangerously teetering southward because of the existence of intense localised conflicts and crises, and emergence of new ones. Secondly, the global economy currently is in a volatile and uncertain state because of a widening technological and digital divide, turbulent financial market, reduction in investment flows, instability in supply chains and increased protectionist measures, besides other barriers to international trade. It was acutely felt that equitable and effective international cooperation and sustainable economic development can be achieved only if members seriously address challenges posed by global climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic growth and well-being, food security and implementation of 2030 sustainable development goals. That the Samarkand (SCO) Declaration placed emphasis on recommitment to having a “more representative, democratic, just and multipolar world order” based on “universally recognised principles of international law… and sustainable security” is one major takeaway. Another key takeaway was approving the comprehensive plan for implementation of the 2007 Treaty on Long-term Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation between SCO Member States for the period 2023-2027. This places the onus on member states (China, Pakistan and Russia specifically) to ensure peace and security; settle their international, regional and bilateral conflicts through dialogue. Concern over security threats posed by terrorism, separatism and extremism was also highlighted and stress placed on implementing the 2022-2024 SCO Programme on countering them consistently. Countering terrorism and extremism was one of the dominant features of the Declaration, i.e. there were ten references to it out of the 121 points listed. For India, the takeaways were equally important. It was heartening to see Prime Minister Modi’s four-and-a-half minute opening remarks being listened to with rapt attention, suggesting that India’s standing globally is assured. Without taking names, PM Modi made no bones about the fact that China, Pakistan and Russia need to look at themselves in the mirror and revisit their reasons for creating instability in their environs and beyond. To do this in the presence of Xi Jinping, Shehbaz Sharif & Vladmir Putin at a time when sustaining ties with Beijing and Moscow in particular is a must takes some doing. The next SCO meeting under India’s presidency in 2023 should, therefore, tmake for an interesting watch


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