International Groupings Quiz: G20, BRICS, SCO, Quad, ASEAN, SAARC, BIMSTEC

Spoilers! These are the Starter quiz’s answers. Easy, Medium, Hard and Mixed rounds show their own answers when you finish.

1. Where is the secretariat of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) located?

   • Bangkok
   • Jakarta
   • Singapore
   • Kuala Lumpur

   Answer: Jakarta. The ASEAN Secretariat is in Jakarta, Indonesia, even though ASEAN itself was founded in Bangkok in 1967.

2. The secretariat of SAARC is located in

   • Dhaka
   • New Delhi
   • Colombo
   • Kathmandu

   Answer: Kathmandu. SAARC was founded at Dhaka in December 1985, but its secretariat was set up in Kathmandu in 1987 — a classic trap.

3. The permanent secretariat of BIMSTEC is in

   • Dhaka
   • Bangkok
   • Kathmandu
   • Yangon

   Answer: Dhaka. BIMSTEC's permanent secretariat was inaugurated in Dhaka in 2014. The grouping was launched in Bangkok in 1997.

4. ASEAN was established in 1967 by signing which declaration?

   • Manila Declaration
   • Bali Declaration
   • Bangkok Declaration
   • Kuala Lumpur Declaration

   Answer: Bangkok Declaration. The Bangkok Declaration of 8 August 1967 created ASEAN with five founders: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

5. The New Development Bank, set up by the BRICS countries, has its headquarters in

   • Shanghai
   • Johannesburg
   • Moscow
   • Mumbai

   Answer: Shanghai. The NDB agreement was signed at the Fortaleza (Brazil) summit in 2014 and placed the bank's headquarters in Shanghai, China.

6. At the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, which body was admitted as a permanent member?

   • ASEAN
   • Gulf Cooperation Council
   • European Union
   • African Union

   Answer: African Union. The African Union became a permanent member at the New Delhi summit, joining the European Union as the second regional bloc in the G20.

7. The Group of Six that met at Rambouillet in 1975 became the G7 in 1976 when which country joined?

   • Australia
   • Canada
   • Spain
   • Russia

   Answer: Canada. Canada joined in 1976. Russia joined much later (G8 from the late 1990s) and was suspended in 2014.

8. Which of the following countries is NOT a member of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue)?

   • Australia
   • Japan
   • Indonesia
   • United States

   Answer: Indonesia. The Quad has four members: India, the United States, Japan and Australia. Its first leaders' summit was held virtually in 2021.

9. Consider the following statements about the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): 1. It evolved from the 'Shanghai Five' grouping. 2. Its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is based in Tashkent. 3. India joined it as a full member in 2005. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   • 1 only
   • 1 and 2 only
   • 2 and 3 only
   • 1, 2 and 3

   Answer: 1 and 2 only. The SCO (2001) grew out of the Shanghai Five, and RATS sits in Tashkent. India was only an observer from 2005; it became a full member in 2017 at Astana.

10. The first summit of the BRIC countries was held in 2009 in

    • Brasilia
    • Sanya
    • New Delhi
    • Yekaterinburg

    Answer: Yekaterinburg. The first BRIC summit was held at Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa joined in 2010, making it BRICS.