Shanghai Cooperation Organisation together with BRICS countries summit are meeting for the first time in the Russian city of UFA, the capital of Bashkortostan Region. SCO was started as 'Shanghai five' after the breakup of the Soviet Union; when Russia, Kashaktan, Kirgistan, Uzbekistan and China met together to form this organization. Today member countries are increased with India becoming a member. Pakistan will soon follow. Although some try to project SCO as Eastern NATO, it is not a military security organization. It is more concern for the welfare of the people in order to improve their livelihood. Of course it does not mean that it has no security paradigm. They are more concern with the peaceful resolution of the border tensions so that infrastructure development to the different countries for common good would move smoothly.
The 'BRICS' countries comprise Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It form today a strong emerging economies which have sustainable development of their own. To counter balance the hegemonistic nature of the I.M.F. and the World Bank; the 'BRICS' form a new International Bank in Shanghai with an initial capital of $100 billion. Unlike IMF and World Bank which are more dominated by multi-nationals and big banks of the west; Asian Infrastructure and investment Bank is people oriented. It is more concern with the improvement of education and health of the people of respective member countries and investment and development. With China standing in the top of the world as an economic power, the world attention today is focus more towards the Pacific Region.
The Summit of 'BRICS' along with 'SCO' in UFA in the Russian Federation will create a big impact. Already India's Prime Minister Modi has used this venue to meet with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif to discuss about the Indo-Pakistan relations, specially the boder concern. In the West it is the 'arms' which 'talk' and not the people. But both BRICS and 'SCO' it is people who talk to each other in resolving their problems.
In the present context Energy Efficiency in among the topics that is on the agenda both in the 'SCO' and 'BRICS'.
AAPSO consider that both 'SCO' and 'BRICS' will certainly play a useful role in helping developing countries, so that the civil society organization in these countries need to work closely with them and get acquainted with their activities.
AAPSO Secretariat