Question

Elaborate in brief the regional organisations

1. SAARC
2. BIMSTEC
3. BRICS
4. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
5. G-20

Answer the following question in 150 to 200 words with reference to the given points:

Explain the following regional organisations in post Cold War era.

1. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
2. SAARC
3. BIMSTEC
4. BRICS
5. G-20

Answer 1

Countries come together to either create or join some regional organisations. These organisations may be based on geographic proximity or common political, ideological, economic etc. concerns. Some of the important regional organisations are as follows:

1. SAARC: SAARC was formed in 1985 at Dhaka. Originally, SAARC had seven members, namely India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives. In 2007, Afghanistan was added as the eighth member. The main aim of SAARC was to establish a dialogue in South Asia. With this context, South Asian Association for Preferential Trade Arrangement (SAPTA) came into existence in 1993. Later in 2006, SAARC’s free trade arrangement was activated through South Asian Association Free Trade Area (SAFTA) which replaced the earlier regime of SAPTA.
2. BIMSTEC: The Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organisation founded in 1997. India Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka Myanmar and Thailand are its member. BIMSTEC acts as a bridge between South and South East Asia and mainly aims to facilitate rapid economic development and promote collaboration on matters of common interests.
3. BRICS: BRICS is an association of major emerging national economies created in 2009. Its original members were Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined in 2010. These countries with fast-growing economics. They have significant influences in the regional and global affairs.
4. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: The SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) was founded in 2001 as a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization. The founding members included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined the SCO in 2016. The primary objectives of the SCO are to counter terrorism and maintain peace and stability in the region through political dialogue and economic cooperation among its members. The organization also promotes collaboration in trade, research, and technology.
5. G-20: G-20 is an international forum established in 1999 for governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union. It strives to maintain financial stability and serves as a forum for dialogue between the developed and developing countries. India is an active members of G-20.