Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Prospect of Development in the Eurasia Region, Summer 2007

The authors outline the recent evolution and current framework of the SCO, stating that it is not an antagonistic security alliance as some in the West perceive it to be. Instead, they argue, it should be seen as a vehicle for increasing economic and social prosperity in the region. It is pointed out that the rhetoric of human rights preached by Europe and the U.S. backfires in the region, heightening a sense of threat. That the SCO can play a central role in stabilizing Afghanistan is emphasized...