World Organisations: NATO, OPEC, BRICS, G7, SCO, QUAD, AUKUS & RCEP

Questions on international organisations and groupings are a staple in Kerala PSC exams. This note covers organisations beyond the UN system — focusing on strategic, economic, and regional groupings that are frequently tested.

1. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)

Feature	Detail
Founded	4 April 1949
Treaty	North Atlantic Treaty (Washington Treaty)
Headquarters	Brussels, Belgium
Original members	12 countries (USA, UK, France, Canada, etc.)
Current members	32 (as of 2024, after Sweden joined)
Latest member	Sweden (March 2024)
Purpose	Collective defence — Article 5: attack on one is attack on all
Secretary General	Mark Rutte (since October 2024)
India	Not a member; not part of any military alliance

2. OPEC (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

Feature	Detail
Founded	14 September 1960
Founding members	Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela
Headquarters	Vienna, Austria
Current members	12 countries
Purpose	Coordinate petroleum policies; stabilise oil markets
OPEC+	Extended group including Russia, Kazakhstan, Mexico and others (not formal OPEC members)
India	Not a member (major oil importer)

Current OPEC Members

Region	Countries
Middle East	Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE
Africa	Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea
South America	Venezuela

3. BRICS

Feature	Detail
Original name	BRIC (coined by Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs, 2001)
Formal grouping	First BRIC Summit in 2009 (Yekaterinburg, Russia)
South Africa joined	2010 — became BRICS
New members (Jan 2024)	Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia (invited at 2023 Johannesburg summit)
Current members	10 countries
Headquarters	No permanent HQ; rotating presidency
New Development Bank (NDB)	BRICS bank; HQ in Shanghai; established 2014
NDB President	Dilma Rousseff (former Brazil President)
Contingent Reserve Arrangement	$100 billion fund for balance of payment crises
India’s role	Founding member; hosted summit in 2016 (Goa)

4. G7 (Group of Seven)

Feature	Detail
Members	USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada
EU	Participates but is not a numbered member
Founded	1975 as G6 (Italy joined at first summit); Canada joined 1976 (G7)
G8	Russia included 1997-2014; suspended after Crimea annexation
Focus	Economic policy coordination among advanced economies
Presidency	Rotates annually among members
India	Not a member; sometimes invited as guest

5. G20 (Group of Twenty)

Feature	Detail
Established	1999 (finance ministers); Leaders’ summit from 2008
Members	19 countries + EU + African Union (added 2023)
India hosted	2023 G20 Summit (New Delhi, 9-10 September 2023)
India’s theme	”One Earth, One Family, One Future” (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam)
Key members	All G7 + BRICS + Argentina, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey
Accounts for	About 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade

6. SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation)

Feature	Detail
Founded	15 June 2001
Predecessor	Shanghai Five (1996) — China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
Founding members of SCO	Shanghai Five + Uzbekistan
Headquarters	Beijing, China
India joined	2017 (along with Pakistan)
Current members	10 (China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Belarus)
Focus	Regional security, counter-terrorism, economic cooperation
RATS	Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (HQ: Tashkent)

7. QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue)

Feature	Detail
Members	India, USA, Japan, Australia
Origin	2007 (proposed by PM Shinzo Abe); revived 2017
First Leaders’ Summit	March 2021 (virtual)
Focus	Free and open Indo-Pacific; maritime security, technology, climate, vaccines
Formal treaty	No formal treaty or military alliance
India’s role	Core member; balances engagement with both QUAD and SCO/BRICS

8. AUKUS

Feature	Detail
Members	Australia, United Kingdom, United States
Announced	15 September 2021
Key provision	Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines (not nuclear-armed) with US/UK technology
Focus	Indo-Pacific security; defence technology sharing (AI, cyber, quantum)
India	Not a member; India has its own nuclear submarine programme

9. RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership)

Feature	Detail
Signed	15 November 2020
Effective	1 January 2022
Members	15 countries: 10 ASEAN nations + China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand
Largest trade bloc	Covers about 30% of global GDP and 30% of world population
India	Opted out in November 2019 citing concerns about Chinese goods flooding Indian market and dairy/agriculture sector impact

10. Other Important Groupings

Organisation	Members/Detail	HQ
ASEAN	10 Southeast Asian nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia)	Jakarta
SAARC	8 South Asian nations (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Afghanistan)	Kathmandu
BIMSTEC	7 members (India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan)	Dhaka
Commonwealth	56 member countries (mostly former British colonies); Head: King Charles III	London
NAM (Non-Aligned Movement)	120 members; India a founding member (Nehru, Tito, Nasser, Sukarno, Nkrumah)	No permanent HQ
IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association)	23 member states around Indian Ocean	Ebene, Mauritius

11. PSC Quick Revision — One-Liners

• NATO HQ: Brussels; founded 1949; 32 members; latest: Sweden (2024)
• OPEC HQ: Vienna; founded 1960; controls oil production quotas
• BRICS expanded to 10 members in January 2024
• NDB (BRICS Bank) HQ: Shanghai
• G7 members: USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada
• India hosted G20 summit in 2023 in New Delhi
• SCO founded 2001; India joined in 2017
• QUAD members: India, USA, Japan, Australia — no formal military alliance
• AUKUS: Australia, UK, USA — nuclear submarine deal
• India opted out of RCEP in 2019
• ASEAN HQ: Jakarta; 10 member nations
• SAARC HQ: Kathmandu; 8 member nations