The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) both have geopolitical interests in Central Asia and the Gulf.
NATO Vs SCO
The former is a military alliance, whose members have built substantial presence in the Greater Middle East, including the US military presence in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman; the British military presence in Afghanistan and Bahrain; the French military presence in Afghanistan, Djibouti and the UAE. The SCO major powers have consolidated their respective land power in Central Asia, while NATO members have obtained both land power in Afghanistan and marine power in the Gulf.
While the SCO’s and NATO’s respective military positions have been strengthened, Central Asia and the Gulf are faced with serious economic, political and social problems and inter-state conflict. In the light of this, the military presence of outside NATO and SCO powers may rest on a weak foundation and may face various hurdles in the future.
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. There are currently 31 member states. Its original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
Headquarters of Allied Command Operations: Mons, Belgium.
Objectives of NATO
NATO’s essential and enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means.
NATO Function
•NATO has an integrated military command structure but very few forces or assets are exclusively its own.
•Most forces remain under full national command and control until member countries agree to undertake NATO-related tasks.
•NATO’s protection does not extend to members’ civil wars or internal coups.
•NATO is funded by its members. The U.S. contributes roughly three-fourths of NATO’s budget.
SCO
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was established in 2001 as a regional intergovernmental organization. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is an organization that focuses on political, economic, international security, and defense matters in Eurasia. It holds the distinction of being the largest regional organization in terms of geographic coverage and population.
•Shanghai Cooperation Organisation encompasses approximately 60% of the Eurasian area and 40% of the global population.
•The combined GDP of its member states accounts for around 20% of the world’s GDP.
•Its main goals are to promote cooperation in politics, security, economics, and culture.
•It has a permanent secretariat in Beijing, China.
•Over time, the organization expanded its membership to include eight states, with India and Pakistan joining on 9 June 2017.
•Iran officially became a member in 2023.
Members of SCO
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has 9 members, including China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
