[11] In 2017, SCO's eight full members account for approximately half of the world's population, a quarter of the world's GDP, and about 80% of Eurasia's landmass. Currently: The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the trans-boundary nature of current threats. Istanbul: IQ Publishing House. YERIK SARSEBEK ASHIMOV, SCO Deputy Secretary-General . Afghanistan received observer status at the 2012 SCO summit in Beijing, China on 6 June 2012. Criticisms of the SCO include that it is used by member states to shield each other from international criticism regarding human rights violations. "[91], In November 2005 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that the "Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is working to establish a rational and just world order" and that "The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation provides us with a unique opportunity to take part in the process of forming a fundamentally new model of geopolitical integration". The SCO stated that any country under UN sanctions could not be admitted. Who is the Current President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)? It is still being debated. 1. On 4 June 2014, in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, the idea was brought up to merge the SCO with the Collective Security Treaty Organization. In June 2010, the SCO approved a procedure of admitting new members. This is a list of Secretaries-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He holds the diplomatic rank of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Shortly afterwards, Uzbekistan requested the U.S. to leave the K2 air base. Today, Insights is synonymous with UPSC civil services exam preparation. [39][40][41][42] Bahrain and Qatar have also officially applied to join the SCO. [65], At the 2007 SCO summit Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoodi addressed an initiative that had been garnering greater interest and assuming a heightened sense of urgency when he said, "The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a good venue for designing a new banking system which is independent from international banking systems".[66]. [86], A European Parliament researcher expressed her view that "institutional weaknesses, a lack of common financial funds for the implementation of joint projects and conflicting national interests have prevented the SCO from achieving a higher level of regional cooperation". The current Council of Heads of State consists of: The Council of Heads of Government is the second-highest council in the organisation. However evidence is growing that its activities in the area of social development of its member states is increasing fast. The locations of these summits follow the alphabetical order of the member state's name in Russian. Discuss the objectives and significance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Awarded the Order of Mekhnat Shukhrati (Glory of Labour) of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2003. The implications of Iran joining the organisation has been given much thought academically. [74], The United States applied for observer status in the SCO, but was rejected in 2005. [92], The People's Daily expressed the matter in these terms: "The Declaration points out that the SCO member countries have the ability and responsibility to safeguard the security of the Central Asian region, and calls on Western countries to leave Central Asia. [19] However, because it was under sanctions levied by the United Nations at the time, it was blocked from admission as a new member. The first of these was held in 2003, with the first phase taking place in Kazakhstan and the second in China. ", "The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Law of International Organizations", "Russian-Chinese Joint Declaration on a Multipolar World and the Establishment of a New International Order", "Shanghai Five: An Attempt to Counter U.S.