Major International Groupings and Blocs

International groupings and multilateral blocs are important platforms for economic coordination, security cooperation, regional integration, and climate diplomacy. For Prelims, focus on their membership, presidency/chair, summit location, and official themes or mandates.

The G20 and G7 Financial Blocs

The Group of Twenty (G20) and the Group of Seven (G7) are the main forums for discussing global economic cooperation, financial stability, and policy coordination among major economies.

• G20 membership: 21 permanent members, including the African Union, the European Union, and 19 sovereign states.
• G20 significance: Represents about 85% of global GDP and 75% of global trade.
• G20 Presidency, 2026: The United States, from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026.
• G20 Summit, 2026: Scheduled for December 2026 in Miami, Florida.
• G7 members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• G7 participation: The European Union participates as a non-enumerated member.
• G7 Presidency, 2026: France, which will host the 52nd G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains from June 15 to 17, 2026.

BRICS and SCO Eastern Alliances

BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are major Eurasian and Global South platforms that broaden cooperation in economics, security, and strategic affairs.

• BRICS: Originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa; expansion has increased representation from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
• BRICS Presidency, 2026: India, which assumed the role on January 1, 2026.
• 18th BRICS Summit theme: “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability”.
• SCO nature: A Eurasian political, economic, security, and defence organisation.
• SCO permanent bodies: The Secretariat in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.
• 26th SCO Council of Heads of State summit: Held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from August 31 to September 1, 2026.
• SCO milestone: The Bishkek summit marked the bloc’s 25th anniversary.
• SCO chairmanship: Kyrgyzstan transferred the rotating chairmanship to Pakistan at the conclusion of the summit.

Regional Cooperation: ASEAN, EU, and APEC

Regional groupings promote integration, trade facilitation, and policy coordination within specific geographic regions. They are frequently asked in Prelims because of their rotating chairmanships and summit locations.

• ASEAN Chair, 2026: The Philippines, under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together”.
• 48th ASEAN Summit: Held in Cebu from May 6 to 8, 2026.
• 49th ASEAN Summit: Scheduled in Metro Manila from November 10 to 12, 2026.
• European Union Council presidency: Rotates among member states for six-month terms.
• EU Council Presidency, first half of 2026: Cyprus.
• EU Council Presidency, second half of 2026: Ireland, from July 1 to December 31, 2026.
• APEC focus: Trade and investment across the Pacific Rim through non-binding commitments.
• APEC secretariat: Based in Singapore.
• APEC Chair, 2026: China.
• 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting: Scheduled in Shenzhen from November 18 to 19, 2026, under the motto “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together”.

COP31 Climate Leadership Framework

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) is the central multilateral platform for negotiating global climate action under the UNFCCC.

• COP31 date: November 9 to 20, 2026.
• COP31 venue: Antalya, Turkey.
• Leadership arrangement: Turkey’s Murat Kurum serves as COP President, while Australia’s Chris Bowen serves as “President of negotiations”.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• G20: 21 permanent members; includes the African Union and the European Union.
• G20, 2026: United States presidency; summit in Miami, Florida, in December 2026.
• G7, 2026: France presidency; 52nd Summit in Évian-les-Bains from June 15 to 17, 2026.
• BRICS, 2026: India holds the presidency; 18th Summit themed “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability”.
• SCO: Secretariat in Beijing and RATS in Tashkent; 2026 summit held in Bishkek with chairmanship transferred to Pakistan.
• ASEAN and EU: Philippines is ASEAN Chair in 2026; Cyprus and Ireland hold the EU Council presidency in the first and second halves of the year.
• APEC and COP31: China chairs APEC in 2026, while COP31 is scheduled in Antalya, Turkey, with a shared leadership arrangement.