The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has committed to fighting terrorism and addressing the issue of financing for such activities. India did not support China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), unlike the other members of the organization.
The New Delhi Declaration, issued after the virtual SCO Summit hosted by India, outlined the collective actions member states will take to combat terrorism. These actions include working to eliminate conditions that promote terrorism, disrupting channels of terror financing, and suppressing recruitment activities and the movement of terrorists across borders.
The SCO members pledged to eliminate sleeper cells and terrorist safe havens, counter radicalization of youth, and stop the dissemination of terrorist ideology. The joint declaration was issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the group’s willingness to criticize countries that use terrorism as a tool of policy.
However, India chose not to join other countries in supporting China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has concerns about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the debt burden imposed by BRI projects.
The joint statement emphasized the importance of not interfering in the internal affairs of nations while combating terrorism and extremism. It also highlighted the need to prevent religious intolerance, nationalism, discrimination, xenophobia, fascism, and chauvinism. The declaration called for united action against terrorist and extremist groups and promoting a global environment that rejects such ideologies.
The SCO member states recognized the urgency of resolving the situation in Afghanistan. They emphasized the need for an independent, neutral, unified, democratic, and peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism, warfare, and narcotics. They also stressed the importance of forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan that includes all ethnic, religious, and political groups.
Iran joined the SCO as its newest member, and the member states emphasized the importance of implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding Iran’s nuclear program. All participants should fulfill their obligations to effectively implement the agreement, as stated in the joint declaration.
