The “SCO Summit” is a meeting of the member states of the Shanghai Coo

The “SCO Summit” is a meeting of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. How many permanent members are there in the SCO ?

6
8
9
12
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Combined Section Officer – 2021-22
The correct answer is B, representing 8 permanent members at a specific point in time relevant to the question’s framing.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization. The number of full members (often referred to as permanent members in a general sense, though not the official SCO terminology like ‘permanent members’ in the UNSC context) has changed over time. Originally formed by five members (Shanghai Five), it expanded to include Uzbekistan (making it 6), and later India and Pakistan (making it 8).
As of July 2023, Iran became the ninth full member of the SCO. Belarus is also in the process of joining. However, considering the options and common knowledge about the SCO structure after India and Pakistan joined in 2017 and before Iran’s accession, 8 was the widely recognized number of full members for a significant period. The question likely refers to this period. The initial five members were China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan joined in 2001, followed by India and Pakistan in 2017.
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