The flag of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is the banner of the Eurasian political, economic, and security organisation founded in Shanghai in 2001. The SCO is the largest regional organisation in the world by area and population, covering roughly 60 percent of Eurasia.
The design
The Flag of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses white, green, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Green | green | Tends to evoke land, agriculture, hope, Islam or the natural environment. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
A white field bearing a green emblem at centre: a stylised globe outline showing Eurasia, with two olive branches rising on either side and the SCO acronym in both Chinese and Russian below. The two languages explicitly mark the original founding axis (China and Russia); the olive branches signify the organisation's stated cooperative purpose.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 2002. It is credited to SCO founding committee. Earlier banners flown by reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | — | |
| Continent | Asia | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 2002 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | white, green | — |
| Designer | SCO founding committee | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
India and Pakistan joined the SCO simultaneously in 2017, making the organisation the only major intergovernmental body where both states sit at the same table as full members.
About the organisation
SCO was founded in 2001. Its headquarters are in Beijing, China.
Member states
SCO has 10 member states. Membership current as of 2024-07.
