Origins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
During the 1960s, Russian and Chinese democracy plummeted considerably. However, in the 1980s, both states recovered and moved towards a humble normalization. On the other hand, heads of state from Central Asian Republics (CARs) such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan had to deal with security concerns because of undecided borders between them and Russia and China.
To overcome security threats and resolve border disputes, a cluster of these states began to collaborate, laying the groundwork for the “Shanghai Spirit,” which later proved to be an impetus for establishing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The SCO was formally formed in 2001; the organization aimed to curb extremism, terrorism, and separatism in the region and later broadened the scope of cooperation to include economic development and regional stability.
Pakistan’s Murky Navigation within the Region
Since the formation of Pakistan, the state has faced many internal and external predicaments. Despite challenges from neighboring states such as India, Afghanistan, and Iran, it navigated and established a foothold in the region. Only the People’s Republic of China proved to be a beacon of hope for the agrarian country during uncertain times. Furthermore, China’s utmost support for the induction of Pakistan into SCO paved the way for the developing state to forge friendly relations with Central Asian Republics and to dissipate hostilities with its immediate neighbors and the Russian Federation.
Pakistan’s geographical location has long been a playground for international rivalries, forcing the country to endure the consequences of external enmities disturbing its domestic peace and stability. By becoming a full member of the SCO in 2017, Pakistan was capable of turning its misfortune into its greatest asset. Likewise, the natural reserves of CARs, although unexplored because of un-skilled labor, have great potential for the region’s development; e.g., Turkmenistan currently holds the fifth-largest natural gas reserves in the world, around 7.94 trillion cubic meters.
China and Russia have realized Central Asia’s potential and invested in multiple projects there, such as the exploration of rare earth metal deposits. Pakistan’s geographical location is ideal for constructing an energy corridor connecting South Asia with Central Asia. Thus, by utilizing China’s and Russia’s interests in Central Asia, Pakistan can resolve its energy crisis and position itself as a key player in the region’s development while strengthening its relations with CARs.
Moreover, the construction of Gwadar port in 2007 provided China with a conduit to connect the Persian Gulf and Arabic Sea to set up power projects. The port reduced travel time for China from 45 days to 10 days by generating a shorter route to the Middle East. The Gwadar Port plays a crucial role in the socio-economic development of Pakistan because, as an exclusive economic zone, it attracts foreign investments, which can be used for various infrastructure projects. They can also increase employment opportunities through transit trade. Subsequently, Pakistan’s strategic importance has been realized by SCO as Pakistan has become an integral part of projects such as CPEC and BRI.
Apart from the aforementioned reasons, Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement with its neighboring states is vital for SCO’s stability because the friction between neighboring states could halt major projects involving the entire region. For instance, India has raised objections several times, creating obstructions to the CPEC project, stating that the territory of Gilgit Baltistan comes under the jurisdiction of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Hence, the route cannot be utilized in any projects related to economic integration and trade facilitation.
Since India is also a member of the SCO, Russia and China can bring both states together to resolve disputes such as the Kashmir issue because the bilateral disputes between the neighboring countries are sabotaging the entire region’s economic development. Due to the negative consequences of India and Pakistan’s rivalry, bilateral disputes have become a multilateral issue for the entire region.
Similarly, Afghanistan’s discord with Pakistan is because of the role Pakistan played in the “War on Terror” due to extreme Western pressures. Still, both states tolerate the consequences of Western influence in the form of inflation and inadequate funds for their respective states’ redevelopment, as Afghanistan is an observer state in the organization. SCO can help reduce the discord between the two countries by providing a platform for states to clarify previous misconceptions because both Pakistan and Afghanistan were the victims of a scheme orchestrated by the USA and other Western states.
Regional development depends on peace, stability, and consensus amongst all stakeholders. If all states put aside their differences for a greater cause, this would uplift the entire region.
Barriers to Effectiveness within SCO
The SCO has not been able to achieve its maximum potential due to a plethora of reasons. First, the divergence of interests between member states has become a stumbling block for the growth of SCO. India swiftly changed its position on several issues to maintain neutrality and gain benefits from the USA and SCO member states such as Russia and China. For this reason, as a sovereign state, India can develop at the expense of impeding the region’s development.
Moreover, Afghanistan’s insecurity, Iran’s sanctions, and the border disputes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have limited the geographical scope. The divergence of interests, accompanied by a multitude of unresolved and non-negotiable clashes, has plummeted the growth of SCO as a promising institution with a vision to change the world order.
Secondly, the SCO lacks a proper institutional structure to coordinate policies and implement decisions for effective functioning. The global south is abundant in natural resources. However, SCO still struggles to allocate resources between member states in a manner that all member states benefit from, whilst making sure that the natural resources are not depleted completely for future generations.
Even though the roles and responsibilities of SCO’s organs have been defined, the meetings conducted between different bodies of SCO have not been conducive to its organizational growth. The lack of innovation between different organs has resulted in the ineffective execution of ideas.
Enhancing the Effectiveness of SCO
SCO has very limited funding. Therefore, it cannot initiate projects on a large scale. Nevertheless, if it utilizes its resources equitably, focusing on the development of each sector within the SCO—the media, migration, legal framework, and climate change, to list a few, would produce positive outcomes for the organization.
SCO can enhance regional peace by addressing migration issues through a “One Visa” policy—for the free movement of people and goods within the region. This would encourage tourism and make states more interdependent, which would dissuade cross-border violence and the likelihood of wars. Soft borders between the states would persuade those with conflicting interests to conduct joint security exercises and the sharing of information to develop a stronger security alliance, reducing the risk of external threats.
SCO should work to improve its soft image in the world. Like many activities conducted within member states, cultural exchanges such as the “World Youth Festival” can promote international youth cooperation. The general population is unaware of such programs since conventional media primarily focuses on the negatives rather than the positives.
Moreover, collaboration on media projects like documentaries, movies, and TV shows with the effective use of social media apps for promotional purposes would enhance cultural understanding within the region. It would broaden the sphere of influence by reaching out to a foreign audience. This would allow the organization to counter misinformation harming SCO’s goals.
The SCO should strengthen its legal framework among member states by including judicial cooperation and extradition laws to develop treaties that ensure fugitive extradition according to proper protocols. Furthermore, increasing cooperation between judicial authorities would facilitate the exchange of authentic evidence and information. Similarly, harmonization of criminal laws would ensure consistency in addressing transnational crimes such as terrorism, cybercrime, etc.
Climate change has adversely affected the region. Therefore, SCO should adopt policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and transition towards clean energy resources. Member states should collaborate to conserve biodiversity across the region and provide protection for endangered species. Consequently, the SCO should develop a framework involving resilience-building efforts to reduce disaster risks and manage them.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
She is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelors in International Relations at Bahria University.