Joint statements on radicalisation leading to terrorism, digital transformation adopted under India’s SCO presidency: Kwatra

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders, under India’s presidency, adopted a Delhi Declaration and two thematic joint statements on countering radicalization and digital transformation. They also signed 10 decisions aimed at furthering cooperation among SCO nations.

India’s presidency focused on involving stakeholders beyond the government, leading to the organization of various meetings, activities, and events over the past nine months. These included the SCO millet festival, SCO film festival, SCO cultural showcasing at Surajkund Mela, SCO Tourism Mart, and SCO conference on traditional medicine in a Business-to-business format.

In addition, India proposed five initiatives at ministerial-level meetings, including the development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the promotion of digital technologies, cooperation between SCO members on emerging fuels, and working together to combat the challenges of climate change.

The SCO summit, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, concluded with the virtual participation of the heads of state from all SCO nations.

• Joint Statement on Cooperation in Countering Radicalization Leading to Separatism, Extremism, and Terrorism

This statement was adopted by the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the 2023 SCO summit, which was held under India’s presidency. The statement reaffirms the SCO’s commitment to combating all forms of terrorism and radicalization and calls for greater cooperation among SCO member states in this area.

The statement also highlights the importance of addressing the root causes of radicalization, such as poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion. It calls for SCO member states to work together to promote tolerance, understanding, and respect for diversity.

• Joint Statement on Cooperation in the Field of Digital Transformation

This statement was also adopted by the SCO leaders at the 2023 SCO summit. The statement recognizes the importance of digital transformation for the economic and social development of SCO member states. It calls for greater cooperation among SCO member states in the areas of digital infrastructure, digital economy, and digital security.

The statement also highlights the importance of using digital technologies to promote the SCO’s goals of peace, security, and development. It calls for SCO member states to work together to develop and implement common standards and norms for the use of digital technologies.

The adoption of these two joint statements is a significant achievement of India’s SCO presidency. They demonstrate India’s commitment to working with SCO member states to address the challenges of terrorism and radicalization and to promote the use of digital technologies for the benefit of all.

SCO Summit 2023:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on July 4th. The summit was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other leaders of the SCO nations.

The leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration, which outlines the SCO’s commitment to fighting terrorism and radicalization. They also signed two thematic joint statements on cooperation in countering radicalisation and digital transformation.

In his address to the summit, PM Modi called for greater cooperation among SCO member states to address the challenges of terrorism and radicalization. He also urged the SCO to play a more active role in resolving global issues, such as climate change and sustainable development.

The virtual summit was a significant achievement for India, which is the current chair of the SCO. It demonstrated India’s commitment to the SCO and its willingness to work with other member states to address common challenges.

Details from the summit:

• The New Delhi Declaration was proposed by India and was supported by all SCO member states.
• The two thematic joint statements were also proposed by India and were focused on countering radicalisation and digital transformation.
• PM Modi’s address to the summit was a veiled criticism of Pakistan and China, which are both accused of supporting terrorism.
• The virtual summit was attended by leaders of all SCO member states, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran.