MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS — SAARC, BRICS, G20, SCO, ASEAN AND OPEC

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS — SAARC, BRICS, G20, SCO, ASEAN AND OPEC

1. Importance of International Organisations

• International and regional organisations provide institutional platforms for economic cooperation, political dialogue, security coordination, trade, development and management of global challenges.
• For India, organisations such as SAARC, BRICS, G20, SCO and ASEAN-led mechanisms are important instruments of neighbourhood policy, Global South cooperation and strategic diplomacy.

2. SAARC — South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

• SAARC was established by the signing of its Charter at Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
• Its eight members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and its Secretariat is located in Kathmandu, Nepal. (SAARC)
• Its objectives include economic growth, social progress, cultural development and collective self-reliance in South Asia.
• Decisions are taken by unanimity, while bilateral and contentious issues are excluded from formal deliberations. (SAARC)
• SAARC’s effectiveness has been constrained by political tensions; no summit has been held since the 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in 2014.

3. BRICS — Global South Cooperation

• BRICS emerged from cooperation among Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2011.
• Following subsequent expansion, BRICS now has 11 full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. (Brics)
• It is an informal coordination forum rather than a treaty-based organisation and has no permanent secretariat.
• Its major areas are political-security cooperation, economic-financial coordination and people-to-people exchanges.
• The New Development Bank (NDB) is an important BRICS-created institution financing infrastructure and sustainable development.

4. G20 — Premier Forum for Global Economic Cooperation

• The Group of Twenty (G20) was established in 1999 following global financial instability and was elevated to the leaders’ level in 2008.
• It presently comprises 19 countries plus the European Union and African Union. (G20)
• G20 members together represent around 85% of global GDP, over 75% of global trade and about two-thirds of the world’s population. (G20)
• It addresses growth, financial stability, climate change, sustainable development, health, digital economy and multilateral reforms.
• India’s 2023 G20 Presidency strongly highlighted the interests of the Global South.

5. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• The SCO was formally established in 2001 and has its Secretariat in Beijing.
• Its full membership has expanded to include China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus.
• Its priorities include regional security, counter-terrorism, political cooperation, connectivity, trade and cultural exchanges.
• India views the SCO as an important forum for engagement with Central Asia and Eurasia.

6. ASEAN — Association of Southeast Asian Nations

• ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 and has its Secretariat in Jakarta.
• A major recent update is that Timor-Leste became ASEAN’s 11th Member State, joining Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (ASEAN Main Portal)
• ASEAN seeks regional peace, economic integration, connectivity and socio-cultural cooperation.
• India engages ASEAN through its Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy.

7. OPEC — Oil-Producing Countries

• The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in Baghdad in 1960 and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
• As of 2026, OPEC has 12 Member Countries. (OPEC)
• Its principal objective is to coordinate petroleum policies and promote stability in international oil markets.
• OPEC+ is broader than OPEC and includes cooperating non-OPEC producers such as Russia and Kazakhstan. (OPEC)

8. India’s Role

• India uses these organisations to pursue strategic autonomy, energy security, trade, connectivity, development finance and reform of global governance.
• BRICS and G20 give India a strong platform to raise concerns of developing countries, while ASEAN and SCO strengthen engagement with India’s extended neighbourhood.

9. Major Challenges

• These organisations often face differences arising from geopolitical rivalry, bilateral disputes and competing national interests.
• SAARC illustrates how political tensions can weaken regional integration, while BRICS and SCO must manage substantial differences among increasingly diverse members.
• Consensus-building therefore remains essential to their effectiveness.

10. Key Perspective

• These organisations differ fundamentally in purpose: SAARC and ASEAN are regional organisations; BRICS is a Global South coordination grouping; G20 is a global economic forum; SCO combines security and Eurasian cooperation; and OPEC focuses on petroleum policy.
• For examination purposes, membership figures must be kept updated: SAARC—8; BRICS—11; ASEAN—11; SCO—10; OPEC—12; G20—19 countries + EU + AU.
• Together, they demonstrate the growing importance of multilateralism, regionalism and issue-based cooperation in contemporary international relations.