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