Shanghai Cooperation Org

(SCO)
SCO Profile
Importance of SCO

Security challenges of the post-Cold War era

Loosing Border defense among CIS– one reason for SCO establishment

Converging policies of China and Russia founded the forum

Platform for Russia & China to manage their periphery security environment

Strongest countries on the Eurasian continent - Russia and China

To neutralize common threats to nat security and territorial integrity -3 evils

It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism

In 1996 & 1997, head of five states launched Shangai Five

Turkmenistan - only CA state not member of SCO (Neutrality)

Observer of the UN General Assembly

Importance of SCO
Charter
Organogram of SCO
SCO Goals (Multi-sectoral
Agenda)
SCO Goals (Multi-sectoral
Agenda)
Core permanent body—RATS
Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure
SCO Policy
Iran’s Membership – SCO
Expectations
 Iran has observer status, applied twice for full membership (2006-15)
 A country under UN sanctions could not be admitted
 Uzbukistan and Tajisktan are no more opposing Iran admission
 SCO offers Tehran a platform to reverse its isolation
 Position itself as a bridge to landlocked CARs
 Better transportation, access to Persian Gulf - comm infrastructure
 Iran -one of the most influential outside players for Afghanistan
 Iran and Pak host highest numbers of Afghan refugees & asylum seekers
 Iran - powerful restraint to the possible spillover of extremists
 More co-op in intelligence sharing and coordinated operations
 Tehran has substantial experience in dealing with narco-trafficking
SCO's Summit - Afghan Imbroglio
Pakistan Russia Ties
Pak Russia Ties
Pak & SCO - Forging links with SCO
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Pak & SCO - Forging links with SCO
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Pak & SCO - Forging links with SCO
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Pak & SCO - Forging links with SCO
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Pak & SCO - Forging links with SCO
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Pak & SCO - Forging links with SCO
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Pak & SCO - Forging links with SCO
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Pak & SCO - Forging links with SCO
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Geopolitical impacts of SCO on Pakistan
 Geo-strategic impacts of SCO on
Pakistan

 Junction of South Asia, West Asia and Central Asia

 Suitably positioned to contribute to realizing SCO objectives
 Military Cooperation, Intelligence sharing, Counter-terrorism drills
 Russia and Pak joint military exercise called ‘Friendship-2020’ at the Tarbela
special operations training ground (Nov 2020)
 The four Mi-35M heavy attack helicopters given to Pak (April 2018)
 Pak regional policies are in consonance with its long term interests
 Post Afghan peace process; benefit from regional donors

Asian Century
 Shift of the horizon of global politics
 Establishment of AIIB to compete with ADB
 Developing funding mechanisms to promote intra-SCO trade -development initiatives
Belt Road Intitiative (BRI)
Map
Challenges to SCO
SCO Amid Pandemic
 Made the principle decision to conduct bilateral trade and
investment and issue bonds in local and national currencies
instead of US dollars
 Virtual SCO moot 2020; Heads of states and SG of UN participated
 IK said “The SCO forum can play a pivotal role in enhancing economic
collaboration with support from Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and
Belt, and Road Initiative (BRI). “China Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC), the flagship BRI project, is poised to play a vital role” in
regional development.

 6 points raised by PM Khan

 Pakistan PM Khan proposed six strategies to galvanize efforts
through the SCO summit for better connectivity and development:
 1. Create an SCO knowledge bank of best practices to fight COVID-
19 to guide countries through the second wave and beyond.
SCO Amid Pandemic
 2. SCO action plan to mitigate the effects of adverse effects on
economy of coronavirus
 3. COVID-19 vaccine must be viewed as a global public good
and should be affordable and accessible to all.
 4. More measures by G20 to meet common challenges like
climate change, widening inequality within and among
nations, poverty, disease, hunger and the illicit movement of
money from developing world to offshore bank accounts to
rich countries.
 5. Formulate a multi-year SCO youth strategy with a focus on
building partnerships among educational institutions.
 6. Develop SCO partnership for technology offering
scholarships, exchange programs for youth in the scientific
field.
SCO Amid Pandemic
 PM Khan’s proposal for a multi-year SCO Youth Strategy
focusing on building partnerships among educational
institutions, offering scholarships and exchange programmes
for youth in the scientific field.
 https://tribune.com.pk/article/97430/why-uzbekistan-is-at-the-
centre-of-pakistans-vision-central-asia
 https://tribune.com.pk/story/2310689/pakistan-uzbekistan-set-
up-strategic-partnership
 https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/07/25/the-sco-and-
the-strategic-perspective-of-central-asia/
 https://jamestown.org/program/iran-and-the-sco-continued-
obstacles-to-full-membership/
 https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/464001/Iran-to-join-
Shanghai-Cooperation-Organization
ASEAN
Members
Candidate Member and
observer

 East Timor
(Candidate)

 Papua New Guinea

(Observer)
ASEAN Dialogue Partners
1O Dialogue Partners
Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, The Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the

Russian Federation, the United States, and the European Union, as well as with
the United Nations
Frameworks
East Asia Summit (EAS): The EAS serves as a forum for strategic dialogue

amongst the ten ASEAN Member States and its key partners, namely, Australia,
China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation
and the United States

ASEAN plus one economies FTA (Japan, Korea, China, Australia, NZ, India)
ASEAN plus three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea)

ASEAN also has sectoral dialogue relations with Pakistan and Norway.
Introduction
 ASA - 31 July 1961 with Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand as members
 Fallen short of its goals
 In June 1966, discussions to include more members
 By May 1967, plans replaced by a proposal to form a new grouping
 ASEAN established on 8th August 1967 (Bangkok Declaration)
 ASEAN is a 10-member international body
 ASAEN is spanning over an area of 4.4 million square kilometers, a
population of over 650 million, and a GDP exceeding $2.9 trillion
 In 2020, total GDP of ASEAN states amounted to 3.08 $trillion
 ASEAN is currently 8th largest eco globally
Stage of Development
 First 10 years (1967-1976): establishment, dialogue partners
 The next 20 years: (1977-1997): expansion - Brunei (1984);
Vietnam (1995); Lao PDR and Myanmar (1997); and Cambodia
(1999)
 The next 10 years: (1998-2007): vision, formalization
 The next 7 years: (2008-2015): Community building
Objectives
 Resolution of Intra-regional differences
 Economic growth
 Cultural development
 Promote regional peace and stability
 Social progress
 Collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common
interests
ASEAN’s Fundamental Principles
1976- The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC)

1.Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial

integrity, and national identity of all nations
2. Right of every State to lead its national existence free from external

interference, subversion or coercion

3.Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another

4.Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner

5.Renunciation of the threat or use of force

6. Effective cooperation among themselves

Secretariat and Organization
Structure
 Accomplishments
 Connecting within ASEAN and Beyond
 Transport Corridor - Trade and Transport Facilitation Corridor
 Economic Corridor and Spatial Development to promote inclusive growth
 ASEAN University Network – 1995 (13-30 Universities)
 Financial integration
 Reallocation of factors of production across sectors of diff productivity
 Diversification, upgrading, deepening of new product methods, processes
 ASEAN eco cooperation covers areas; Trade, investment, industry,
services, finance, agriculture, forestry, energy, transportation and comm,
small and medium enterprises, and tourism
Accomplishments
ACCMSME – backbone of ASEAN economies
Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
MSMEs account for 99% of businesses, 80% of workforce in ASEAN

2019, intra-ASEAN trade - 22.5% of total trade in region

Chinese largest trading partner (skyrocketed by 85 times in 30 years

2020 - Third-largest trading partner outside Europe of the EU - 2020

Association of SEA Institutions of Higher learning(ASAIHL)

Nature parks opened to protect region's natural treasure

ASEAN Scholarship

Urbanization --- Social changes --- Single Aviation Market

 Accomplishments
 Emerged in the last 3 decades as attractive manufacturing locations
 Diversify supply chains and production capabilities by expanding businesses
manufacturing presence in ASEAN
 US-China trade war led many companies to shift operations from China to avoid
financial losses from tariffs and business instability
 Protectionist measures and geopolitical animosities - structural reconfiguration of
global supply chains; alternative sourcing, production activities and transport modes
 Vietnam: advancing high-tech manufacturing to move up value chain (low wages &
FTAs, pact with EU to help businesses lower their cost
 New Int. Land Sea Corridor between Singapore and China
 Container volume to US -increased by 16.1% in 2020, compared with just 2.4% for
containers from China
 Jan 2021, It accounted for 23.3% of the US-bound shipping market
External Relations
Strengthening ASEAN Centrality in Regional Cooperation
and Community Building
 Two-pronged approach on ASEAN Centrality :- acceleration of
ASEAN integration & intensification of ASEAN’s external relations

Promoting Enhanced Ties with External Parties

 Dialogue partnership :Strategic, Enhanced and Comprehensive
relations
 Practical cooperation:- projects and programmes with 70 Non-ASEAN

 Strengthening Consultations and Cooperation on Multilateral

Issues of Common Concern
 ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations (Bali Concord
III)
India-ASEAN relationship
India is actively contributing to ASEAN +1
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the EAST ASIA Summit (EAS), and

ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus

Both have institutionalized annual summits, ministerial

consultations; and nearly 25 mechanisms for dialogue and

cooperation
Challenges
 New Supply chain challenges
 ASEAN - varying degrees of readiness in preparing for Industry 4.0
 Building MSME ecosystem in region requires continuous reinvention
 Tackling informality is important for ASEAN
 Member states are developing a package of policies promoting
formalization, enhancing the tax system and labor regulations & skills
 ILO: 68 % employed population in AP region are in informal economy
 Indonesia - largest workforce in the informal sector
 Comprising 60% of the total workforce, more than 64 mn people
 Better integration of informal sector with formal economy is
necessary for creation of a more active labor market, and
competitiveness of local businesses – ASEAN SME Academy
 Challenges

 MSMEs - globalization, tech advances, making them unsustainable

 Limited access to info on the regional and international markets
 Technical know-how of expanding their business overseas
 Export volume and revenue generated by regional MSMEs account on average
for only 10 to 30% for each country
 Climate changes: implications of food security
 Problem of development divide
 Maritime Security (freedom of navigation for regional maritime trade)
 Challenges Related to 4th Industrial Revolution
 Disputes in South China Sea
 Challenges

Marine debris, river water pollution and transboundary haze

Cyber-Related Crimes

Political turmoil in Myanmar -Refugees rehabilitation

ASEAN summit in April - five-point plan; end to violence and the appointment

of a special envoy to lead diplomatic initiatives

Washington wants to reassure SEA of its commitment to the region

Blinken addressed Beijing’s coercion against ASEAN (S. China Sea)

Beijing’s claim over the entire waterway

Environmental Protection issues (water management, land degradation,

deforestation, climate change)


 AUKUS drives a wedge in ASEAN

 ASEAN internal discord over on AUKUS security partnership

 Being caught in the middle - discussion of ASEAN’s security integration
 AUKUS will reshape the power balance in the Indo-Pacific region
 AUKUS beneficiaries - Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam
 Likelihood of New cold war & new arms race in the region
 Malaysia & Indonesia tilt to Beijing
 Philippines has backed AUKUS - doesn't want to stand against China
 Same case with Vietnam - don't want to harm cultural and eco ties
 Beijing is part of their national interests
 US high level visits: Indonesia, Philip, Singapore, Malaysia & Vietnam
 AUKUS drives a wedge b/w ASEAN
US aim -to promote US Indo-Pacific Strategy
ASEAN states don't want to take sides (balancing strategy)

Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand -don't want life-and-death game

Centrality has become a mantra for ASEAN over the years

Centrality means that ASEAN lies at the core of the region's multilateral security and

economic arrangements (network cluster)

Plus Three, ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asian Summit

ASEAN faces a test of its wisdom - able to act as a mediator Requires ASEAN members to

form a unified voice

ASEAN was founded against the background of the Cold War

Washington hosted the first in-person leaders’ summit of the Quad

New initiatives to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific

SEA - hotbed of U.S.-China rivalry - Quad was greeted with unease by ASEAN

Indo-Pacific discourse - containment strategy against China

 Indo-Pacific

 Indo-Pacific - interconnected space b/w Indian and Pacific Oceans

 Ranging from the eastern shores of Africa to western coast of the US
 Strategically, region across the two oceans joined together by its
main trading channel, the straits of Malacca
 Two broad reasons explain the rise of a strategic imagination of it
 First, growing footprint of China across length and breadth of region
 2nd - relative decline of U.S. alliance system & its strive for resurgence
ASEAN and Pakistan
 Pakistan is a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN (July 1993)
 1954, joined a Southeast Asia-focused defense treaty (Manila pact)
 Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), Pak was only outsider
 After 1977, region has never been in Pak diplomatic Agenda
ASEAN and Pakistan

In 2003, launched ‘Vision East Asia policy’ to boost ties with SE Asia
To raise profile in SEA via improved diplomatic/ official interactions

More competitive in trade and offer value as a bilateral partner\Ties

with Malaysia and Indonesia; In 2008, FTA signed with Malaysia

 2012 -PTA (In 2015, 700m$ to 2.18bn$)

Manufacturing products or offering military expertise

ASEAN also face Islamic militancy - Pak can offer up its expertise

2005 - Declaration for cooperation to combat terrorism

Pushing for a region-wide FTA, becoming full dialogue member

ASEAN and Pakistan
 Turn to the Pak diaspora in Southeast Asia
 Engage established Pak communities in representing interests in
ASEAN’s policy-making circles
 No need to bring the country’s conflict with India to ASEAN
 Efforts to expand its economic and diplomatic base in Southeast Asia
 Hardly any policy institutes address Pak studies in Southeast Asia
 In Pakistan – SE Asia is seen as a non-traditional trading region
 Pakistan’s constitutional identity as an Islamic republic
 Ties with Indonesia and Malaysia
 Pak participated in 17th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) (Nov 27-30)
 President Dr Arif Alvi proposed establishing a “trade triangle” among
Pakistan, China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
to maximise the intra-regional business opportunities
Sources
 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/11/whats-weve-achieved-
and-the-challenges-ahead-50-years-of-asean/
 https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2154823/new-supply-chain-
challenges
 https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2160831/the-long-
wait-for-asean-is-reaching-its-limits