Basic Facts about SCO
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai, by six founding members: Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The SCO Charter was signed in 2002 in St. Petersburg and came into force on September 19, 2003, outlining the organization’s goals, principles, structure, and key activities.
Goals of the SCO:
- Strengthening mutual trust, friendship, and good-neighborliness among member states.
- Promoting cooperation in various fields, including politics, trade, economy, culture, and environmental protection.
- Ensuring peace, security, and stability in the region.
- Advocating for a fair international political and economic order.
The organization follows the “Shanghai spirit,” emphasizing mutual trust, benefit, equality, and respect for diverse civilizations. The supreme decision-making body is the Council of Heads of States (CHS), which meets annually to address key political and strategic issues, while the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) focuses on socio-cultural, economic, and humanitarian matters.
Additional mechanisms exist for meetings on foreign affairs, national defense, trade, and more, coordinated by the Council of National Coordinators. The SCO has two permanent bodies: the Secretariat in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) Executive Committee in Tashkent. As of January 1, 2022, Mr. Zhang Ming from China serves as the SCO Secretary General, and Mr. R. E. Mirzaev from Uzbekistan leads the RATS Executive Committee. The official languages are Russian and Chinese.
Current SCO Membership:
10 Member States : Pakistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
2 Observer States : Mongolia and Afghanistan (whose government is not recognized by most member states).
- 14 Dialogue Partners : Including Armenia, Egypt, and Turkey.
SCO member states represent over one-fifth of the world’s landmass, two-fifths of the global population, and around one-fourth of the global GDP.
SCO-CHG in Pakistan
Pakistan became an SCO Observer State in 2005 and a full member in 2017. It will host the 23rd meeting of the CHG from October 15 to 16, 2024, in Islamabad, marking its first high-level meeting as a full member. This is significant, as it will be Pakistan’s first major international event since hosting the ECO Summit in March 2017.
The meeting will feature representatives from the Prime Ministers of member states, including China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the First Vice President of Iran, as well as the Minister for External Affairs of India. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the proceedings.
The agenda will cover ongoing cooperation in economic, environmental, and socio-cultural fields, alongside a review of the SCO’s performance and budget approval. Since joining the SCO, Pakistan has actively worked to strengthen relations and cooperation among member states. Hosting the CHG reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and the values of the “Shanghai Spirit.” The country will extend due courtesies to all participating delegations in line with international practices.
Courtesy of the Press Information Department (Quetta) for providing the above information regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
