UPSC Prelims 2007 Q4: Current Affairs – International Organisations & Groupings
Which one of the following is NOT a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
- (a) Russia
- (b) Kazakhstan
- (c) Ukraine
- (d) Uzbekistan
Answer: (c) Ukraine
Explanation
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) membership, 2007
| Country | SCO member in 2007? |
|---|---|
| Russia | Yes — founding member |
| Kazakhstan | Yes — founding member |
| Ukraine | No — never an SCO member |
| Uzbekistan | Yes — founding member |
As of 2007, the SCO's full members were China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Ukraine was never an SCO member and held no formal status with the organisation at all.
Answer: (c) Ukraine.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Russia is a founding SCO member.
- (b) Incorrect. Kazakhstan is a founding SCO member.
- (c) CORRECT. Ukraine is not and has never been an SCO member.
- (d) Incorrect. Uzbekistan is a founding SCO member.
Key point
SCO (2007) = China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. Ukraine is not a member.
Remember
Ukraine was never an SCO member.
Common mistakes
- Assuming all former Soviet states are automatically SCO members.
- Confusing SCO membership with observer status, which some other countries held.
- Not memorising the six founding Central Asian/Chinese-Russian members precisely.
Exam tip
SCO founding members are China + Russia + four Central Asian '-stans' — no Ukraine.
Sources
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation — Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (15 June 2001)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Shanghai Cooperation Organisation