PAKISTAN AND REGIONAL

ORGANIZATIONS
• Regional Cooperation Organizations and the
Role of Pakistan
– SAARC
– ECO
– SCO
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

SAARC
• established with the signing of the SAARC
Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
• The Secretariat was set up in Kathmandu on
17 January 1987.
• eight Member States
 Article I-OBJECTIVES
1. To Promote The Welfare Of The Peoples Of SOUTH
ASIA
2. To Accelerate Economic Growth And Social Dev.
3. To Promote Collective Self-reliance
4. To Dev. Mutual Trust And Understanding One
Another's Problems;
5. To Promote Cooperation Among Member States
6. To Strengthen Cooperation With Other Developing
Countries;
7. To Cooperate In International Forums; And
8. To Cooperate With International And Regional
Organizations
 Article II-PRINCIPLES (Functions)
• promoting peace, stability, amity and progress in the region through
adherence to the UN CHARTER and NON- ALIGNMENT
• respect for the principles of
– sovereign equality,
– territorial integrity,
– national independence,
– non-use of force
– non-interference in the internal affairs of other States and
– peaceful settlement of all disputes;

• fostering mutual understanding, good neighborly relations and

meaningful cooperation

• Decisions at all levels are to be taken on the basis of unanimity; and

bilateral and contentious issues are excluded from the deliberations
of the Association.
• Article III-SAARC SUMMIT Article IV-COUNCIL OF
– MEETINGS OF THE HEADS OF MINISTERS
STATE OR GOVERNMENT • A Council of Ministers consisting
– once a year of the Foreign Ministers with the
following functions:
• a) formulation of the policies of
the ASSOCIATION;
• Article V- STANDING
• b) review of the progress of
COMMITTEE cooperation
– The Standing Committee • c) decision on new areas of
comprising the Foreign cooperation;
Secretaries • d) establishment of additional
mechanism under the
ASSOCIATION
• e) decision on other matters of
• Article VI- TECHNICAL general interest to the
COMMITTEES ASSOCIATION.

• The Council of Ministers shall

meet twice a year.
• Article-VIII SECRETARIAT
– There shall be a Secretariat of the ASSOCIATION.
– Performs day to day administrative functions

Article IX- FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

• The contribution of each Member State
towards financing of the activities of the
ASSOCIATION shall be voluntary
 SAARC
Summit

Council of Standing
Ministers Committee

Programming
Secretariat
Committee

Technical
Committees
 SAARC-Critical Analysis
• Two dominant players-Pakistan and India off setting each
other’s influence
• Enmity with India since independence
• Kashmir issue as the nuclear flash point
• India’s influence in Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan due to
proximity
• Recently, India’s increasing involvement in Afghanistan and
Iran and our strategic depth
• Pakistan’s tries to offset it while lobbying with Maldeve, Sri
Lanka and Afghanistan
• Increasing influence of China in South Asia- China also off
sets India- it invites other global players in the region
• SAARC-ECO-SCO-ASEAN
Critical Analysis
 The Future of SAARC
• The future depends on the socio-economic
development of the region

• Pakistan-India hostilities and balance of power in South

Asia

• Rise of China and India as regional powers but Pakistan

wouldn't allow India to be a regional ‘Policeman’

• India is more interested in ASEAN, BRICS, and SCO

• Terrorism and extremism in South Asia

Economic Cooperation Organization

ECO
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)

• An inter-governmental regional organization

encompassing countries from
– Europe,
– Caucasus and Central Asia, and
– South Asia
• The overall objective of the organization is
the sustainable economic development of its
member states and the region as a whole
 Background
• Established as Regional
Cooperation for
Development (RCD) in
1964 by Iran, Pakistan
and Turkey
• Renamed as “ECO” in
1985.
• The ECO's secretariat
and cultural department
are located in Iran
• its economic bureau is
in Turkey
• its scientific bureau is
in Pakistan.
 Objectives & Principles of Cooperation
• Sustainable economic development-Economic liberalization
• Gradual integration with the world economy;
• Development of transport & communications infrastructure
• Effective utilization of the agricultural and industrial potentials
• ecological and environmental protection
• cooperation with regional and international organizations.
• Effective cooperation with other regional and international
organizations
• Exchanges in educational, scientific, technical and cultural
fields
• In 1992 Afghanistan and six Central Asian
Republics, also joined
 Membership
• According to the Article XIII of the Treaty Of
Izmir
– “Any State enjoying geographical contiguity with
the ECO region and/or sharing the objectives and
principles of ECO may apply to become a member
of the Organization.”
• Currently ten countries from West and South
Asia, Caucuses and Central Asia are Members
of the Organization:
 ECO Organs
• The ECO functions through its intergovernmental
machinery
• The intergovernmental character of the
Organization is represented through different
bodies which include
– meetings of Heads of State/Government,
– Council of Ministers (COM),
– Regional Planning Council (RPC),
– Council of Permanent Representatives (CPR),
– expert groups, working groups, committees, etc.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF ECO
• There shall be,
– a Council of Ministers,
– a Council of Permanent Representatives,
– a Regional Planning Council,
– a Secretariat, and
– Specialized Agencies in specific fields of
cooperation.
 ECO-Summit
• According to the Article IV of the Treaty of Izmir, the Heads of
State/Government of the Member States meet biennially or more
often if considered necessary by the Member States.
•
• The Summit meetings review the objective conditions and
progress in implementation of ECO programmes and projects

• exchanging views on regional and global issues of common

interest to the ECO region.

• Since ECO enlargement in 1992, 13 Summit meetings have been

held. The last meeting, 13th ECO Summit, was held on 1st March
2017 in Islamabad, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Summits Held So Far
• COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
– the highest policy and decision-making body of ECO.
– It comprises the Ministers of Foreign Affairs or any other
representatives of full ministerial rank as may be nominated by
the governments
– responsible for decision on/approval of policies, strategies, work
programmes
• SECRETARIAT
– comprises a Secretary-General and staff as the Organization may
require.
– its Headquarters in Tehran
– The Secretary-General is elected and appointed by the Council
of Ministers for a non-renewable term of three years
 Critical Evaluation
• It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve socio-
economic development
• promote trade and investment opportunities.
• The dream is to establish a single market for goods and
services, much like the European Union.
• it consists of predominantly Muslim-majority states
• it is a trade bloc for the Central Asian states connected
to
– the Mediterranean through Turkey,
– to the Persian Gulf via Iran, and
– to the Arabian sea via Pakistan
 Critical Evaluation
• ECO is similar to ASEAN in that it is an organization that
has its own offices and bureaucracy for
implementation of trade amongst member states.
• the Pakistan-Turkey Free Trade Agreement is due
• Pakistan has free trade agreements with both
Afghanistan and Iran
• the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement is
designed to facilitate trade for goods and services for
Central Asia
• the Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline, as well as a
Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan pipeline
• CPEC as a nodal point for regional connectivity
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization

SCO
 The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
• A permanent intergovernmental organization
• Created on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by
1. the People's Republic of China,
2. the Republic of Kazakhstan,
3. the Kyrgyz Republic,
4. the Russian Federation,
5. the Republic of Tajikistan, and
6. the Republic of Uzbekistan.
• It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.
• The SCO's official languages are Russian and Chinese.
• The Charter was signed during the St. Petersburg
SCO Heads of State meeting in June 2002
• It entered into force on 19 September 2003.
• This is the fundamental statutory document
which outlines
– The Organization's Goals
– Principles
– Structure, and
– Core Activities.
 The SCO Goals
• The SCO's main goals are;
1. strengthening mutual trust among the member
states;
2. promoting their effective cooperation in politics,
trade, the economy, and other areas;
3. making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace,
security and stability in the region; and
4. establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new
international political and economic order.
5. Combating three evils-terrorism, separatism, and
extremism
6. Regional economic linkages
 SCO-Policy
Internal Policy External Policy
• based on the principles • is conducted
of in accordance with the
– mutual trust, principles of
– mutual benefit, – non-alignment,
– mutual consultations, – non-targeting any third
– equality, country, and
– respect for cultural – openness.
diversity
– a desire for common
development
 SCO-Members, Observers, Dialogue Partners

the SCO the SCO the SCO

8 member states 4 observer states 6 dialogue partners

China,
India, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia,
Kyrgyzistan Iran and Cambodia,
Pakistan, Mongolia Nepal,
Russia Turkey, and
Tajikistan, and
Sri Lanka.
Uzbekistan
 SCO-Structure
1. The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making
body in the SCO.
It meets once a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all
important matters of the organisation.

2. The SCO Heads of Government Council (HGC)

– meets once a year to discuss the organisation's multilateral
cooperation and priority areas, to resolve current important
economic and other issues
– approve the organisation's annual budget.

3. The Council of National Coordinators of SCO Member States (CNC)

– acts as the SCO coordination mechanism.
4. the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing
5. the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-
Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.

• The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive

Committee of the SCO RATS are appointed by the Council
of Heads of State for a term of three years.
https://www.google.com/search?q=sco+structure&source=lnms&tbm
 SCO & Other Organizations

• SCO & ASEAN • SCO & EU

• SCO & SAARC • SCO & UN-adherence to the
• SCO & ECO UN Charter
• SCO & BRICS
• SCO Vs NATO
Belt and Road Initiative Map
CPEC Road Network
 SCO and Pakistan
• Pakistan was an Observer since 2005 to 2017
• The historical meeting of the Heads of State
Council of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation was held on 8-9 June 2017
in Astana.
• On the meeting the status of a full member
of the Organization was granted to the Republic
of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
• The Shanghai-Cooperation Organization (SCO) has become a
matter of significance for Pakistan
• the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC)
• The importance of Pakistan lies in its strategic location
• it is expected to become a hub of regional connectivity.
• In terms of SCO, based on Pakistan's experience, the country
can offer consultation in anti-terror policies for the success
of BRI.
• SCO can achieve its objectives of security and connectivity
with the participation of Pakistan.
• Relations with China and Russia strengthened
– CPEC as a flagship project of BRI
– But casting doubts on CPEC projects and involving
others in CPEC projects may erode China’s confidence
• Pakistan has not been isolated diplomatically
• Pakistan can get trade and economic benefits
from SCO and ECO
• Establishing a balance between China and US
• Improving Pakistan’s image
• While reviewing the 'Modern Great Game',
the SCO is emerging significantly to contain US
influence in Central Asian region.
• Therefore, US seriously monitoring the
activities of the SCO.
• THANKS