Shanghai Cooperation Organization
▪ It is an intergovernmental political, economic, and security alliance founded in 2001 by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
▪ The first summit was held in Shanghai, China, in 2001.
▪ The SCO aims to promote cooperation and mutual support in areas such as trade, investment, energy, transportation, and security.
▪ Members: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan.
▪ The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in 2025 will be held in Tianjin, China.
SheLeads Programme
▪ Recently, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development inaugurated the second edition of UN Women’s flagship capacity-building programme – SheLeads II: Workshop for Women Leaders, in New Delhi.
About SheLeads Programme
▪ It is a flagship initiative of the UN Women India Country Office.
▪ Aim: It is aimed to advance gender equality in public and political leadership, aiming to support women leaders in contesting the upcoming/next Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections
About UN Women
▪ It is the United Nations (UN) entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
▪ It was created in July 2010 by the UN General Assembly.
World Trade Organization (WTO)
▪ Brazil has filed a formal dispute with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the United States’ decision to impose a 50% tariff on its imports.
About World Trade Organization (WTO)
▪ It is the sole global body governing international trade rules, acting as a forum for negotiations, dispute resolution, and ensuring fair trade practices among member nations.
▪ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
▪ Established In: 1 January 1995 – replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which had operated since 1948.
▪ Origin traces back to post–World War II efforts to create a fair, rules-based global trade system.
▪ GATT (1947) provided initial tariff-reduction frameworks.
▪ The Uruguay Round (1986–94) expanded trade rules to services and intellectual property, leading to the WTO’s creation.
