Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
Q4. “Cross-border terrorism continues to test the limits of multilateral forums like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)”. Analyse. How can regional mechanisms be strengthened to ensure credible and coordinated counter-terrorism action? (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: NIE
Why the question:
India’s refusal to sign the June 2025 SCO Joint Declaration due to diluted references to terrorism has highlighted growing frustration with multilateral inaction on cross-border terror.Key demand of the question:
The question asks for an analysis of how cross-border terrorism exposes limitations of multilateral platforms like SCO, and seeks suggestions for institutional strengthening to ensure credible and coordinated regional counter-terrorism efforts.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction
Mention India’s recent protest at SCO and use it to show the gap between intent and action in regional anti-terror cooperation.Body
- Analyse SCO’s limitations in dealing with cross-border terrorism due to internal contradictions and lack of enforcement power
- Suggest how regional mechanisms like RATS-SCO can be strengthened through reforms, coordination, and accountability frameworks
Conclusion
Highlight the need for reform-oriented multilateralism to prevent forums like SCO from becoming politically paralysed platforms.
