Everything you need to know about Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, better known as the SCO, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 2001. It is the largest regional organisation in the world, mainly because of two factors- geographical area covered and population. Its member countries occupy almost 60% of Europe and Asia and cover 40% of the world’s population. The SCO aims to promote regional cooperation on issues such as security, economy, trade, and cultural exchanges among its member states. As of July 2023, there are 9 full members of the SCO- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, and Iran. Iran is the newest nation to enjoy the privilege of being a permanent/full time member of the organisation. 

This article will guide you about the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). 

About Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

1- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent international intergovernmental organization which is headquartered in Beijing, China.

2- It is a Eurasian political, economic and security organisation aiming to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

3- Its creation was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of  China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 

4- The SCO Charter which formally established the organization was signed in June 2002 and it came into force on September 19, 2003. 

5- The official language of the organization is Chinese and Russian.

6- It is known as the 'Alliance of the East' and is the largest regional organization in the world in terms of geographical coverage and population. The organization covers nearly half of the human population. 

7- The organization has two permanent members-- the SCO Secretariat (Beijing) and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) (Tashkent). 

8- The SCO is seen as a counter-balance to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Aim of SCO

1- The organization aims at strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member nations. 

2- It also promotes effective cooperation in politics, trade & economy, research & technology and culture.

3- The SCO aims at enhancing ties in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and so forth. 

4- It ensures and maintains peace, security and stability in the region.

5- The organization jointly efforts towards the establishment of a democratic, rational, and fair new international economic and political order.

Member Nations of SCO

There are 8 Member Nations of SCO. These are as follows:

Observer Nations of SCO

There are four Observer Nations of SCO which are acceding to full membership. These are as follows:

1- Afghanistan  
2- Belarus
3- Mongolia

Dialogue Partners of SCO

The organization also has six Dialogue Partners. It was created in the year 2008. These are as follows:

1- Armenia
2- Azerbaijan
3- Cambodia
4- Nepal
5- Sri Lanka
6- Turkey

Structure of SCO

The structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is as follows:

1- Heads of State Council: It is the apex body of the organization which makes decisions on the internal functioning and interaction of the organization with other States & international organisations, and considers international issues. 

2- Heads of Government Council: It makes decisions on the issues related to the economic spheres of interaction within the organization. 

3- Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs: This body of the organization makes decisions on the day-to-day issues.

4- Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS): It is formed to counter-terrorism, separatism and extremism.

5- SCO Secretariat: It is based in Beijing and provides informational, analytical & organisational support.

SCO Summits

As per the SCO Charter, two summits are held-- SCO Heads of State and SCO Heads of Government. 

1- SCO Heads of State summit is held annually at alternating locations, following the alphabetical order of the member state's name in Russian. It makes decisions and guidelines on all the significant matters of the organisation. 

List of all SCO summits with Heads of State

2- SCO Heads of Government summit is also held annually where the Prime Ministers' meet at a location which is decided by the Council Members. It discusses the organisation's multilateral cooperation strategy and priority areas.

List of all SCO summits with Heads of Government

Origin of SCO

1- All the nations of SCO excluding Uzbekistan, were the members of Shanghai Five Group which was founded on April 26, 1996.

2- The group emerged from a series of border demarcation and demilitarization talks which the four former Soviet Republics held with China. 

3- After the accession of Uzbekistan to the Shanghai Five Group, it was named the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). 

4- Since the accession of Uzbekistan, two other nations, namely, India and Pakistan, joined the SCO as full members on June 9, 2017, at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. 

List of Five Summits, India to participate in November 2020

List of Members of ASEAN Organisation

List of all BRICS Summits and Host Nations

G-20 Summits: List of Summits and Members