SCO Summit pledges to prevent spread of terror, eliminate sleeper cells

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday pledged to prevent the spread of terrorism and to counter terror financing, even as India stopped short of joining other members of the grouping in endorsing China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The New Delhi Declaration issued at the conclusion of the virtual SCO Summit hosted by India listed steps the member states will take to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, including “active measures to eliminate the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism”, disruption of terror financing channels, and suppression of recruitment activities and cross-border movement of terrorists.

The SCO members will eliminate “sleeper cells” and terrorist safe havens, and counter the radicalisation of youth and dissemination of terrorist ideology, according to the joint declaration, which was issued hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his opening remarks at the summit that the grouping shouldn’t hesitate to criticise countries which use terror as an instrument of policy.

However, India didn’t join Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in reaffirming support for BRI, China’s flagship connectivity initiative. The joint declaration said these countries backed ongoing work to jointly implement the project, including efforts to link BRI and the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union.

India is among the few countries that didn’t sign on for BRI and it has consistently opposed the initiative as a key part of it, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Indian officials have also spoken of the debt burden imposed on countries in the region by BRI projects.

According to the joint statement, the SCO members noted the “inadmissibility of interference in the internal affairs of states under the pretext of countering terrorism and extremism,” and the “unacceptability of using terrorist, extremist and radical groups for mercenary goals”.

The member states said it was important to build coordinated efforts by the world community to counter attempts by terrorist, separatist and extremist groups to involve youngsters. The international community should also prevent the spread of religious intolerance, aggressive nationalism, ethnic and racial discrimination, xenophobia, fascism and chauvinism while taking joint action to counter terrorist and extremist groups, the declaration said.

The member states described the early settlement of the situation in Afghanistan as one of the most important factors for strengthening stability within the SCO region, and said the war-torn country should be built as an “independent, neutral, united, democratic and peaceful state, free from terrorism, war and drugs”.

The establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan with the participation of all ethnic, religious and political groups is essential, and the world community should work to facilitate the dignified and sustainable return of Afghan refugees to their homeland, the declaration said.

With Iran becoming the newest member of the SCO on Tuesday, member states said it was important to ensure sustainable implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan on the Iranian nuclear programme. In line with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, all participants should “strictly fulfil their obligations for comprehensive and effective implementation of the document”, the declaration said.

In the context of economic cooperation, the joint declaration said SCO countries were in “favour of implementing the roadmap for gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements by the interested member states”.

New approaches are required to promote more equitable and effective international cooperation amid a growing technological and digital divide, turbulence in global financial markets, instability of supply chains, barriers to international trade, and the consequences of climate change and Covid-19 pandemic. All these factors have added to volatility and uncertainty in the global economy and created additional challenges for economic growth and ensuring food and energy security, the declaration said.

The SCO Summit, which was joined by the leaders of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, also adopted two joint statements proposed by the Indian side on countering radicalisation and cooperation in digital transformation.

The joint statement on countering radicalisation said SCO members will develop cooperation to fight radicalisation that leads to terrorism, separatism and extremism. This will include sharing experiences and best practices in accordance with the SCO Charter and international law.

The member states will implement programmes to rehabilitate and reintegrate radicalised individuals into society and prevent their return to terrorist activity. They will also exchange practical experiences to ensure the security of major international events held by member states.

In the second joint statement, SCO members acknowledged the role of digital transformation in inclusive and sustainable growth and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The member states will support the integration of digital solutions in priority areas, such as the financial sector and in implementing digital payments.

The introduction of digital technologies and the growing number of internet users is creating a significant amount of data that requires “robust protection and analysis” in terms of assessing the social and economic needs of people, the joint statement said. An approach to development based on analysis of digital data can address a wide range of issues in economics, health and education, it added.