The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a 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% of Eurasia and over 40% of the world's population.
At a glance
- Founded: 2001 (Founded in Shanghai, 15 June 2001 (built on the Shanghai Five from 1996))
- Headquarters: Beijing, China · Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure)
- Official languages: Russian, Chinese
- Website: eng.sectsco.org
Mission
The SCO's declared aims are mutual political and economic cooperation, joint efforts against terrorism, separatism, and extremism (the "three evils"), and promotion of regional stability. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent coordinates security cooperation.
Structure
The Council of Heads of State is the supreme body and meets annually. The Council of Heads of Government meets to discuss economic and budget questions. The Secretariat in Beijing handles operational coordination. The SCO operates two principal coordination bodies: RATS for security and the Business Council and Interbank Consortium for economics.
Member states
SCO has 10 member states. Membership current as of 2024-07.
Key facts
- India and Pakistan joined the SCO simultaneously in 2017, making the SCO the only major intergovernmental body where both states sit at the same table as full members.
- Iran joined as a full member in 2023 after years as an observer; Belarus joined in 2024.
- The SCO has consistently denied being a NATO equivalent, but its security dimension has grown substantially since 2022.
- Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Bahrain, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Türkiye, and Kuwait hold observer or dialogue-partner status.
- The SCO's working languages are Russian and Chinese — reflecting the bloc's twin founding axis — without any common third language for inter-member communication.
Historic milestones
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Shanghai Five (predecessor): China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan |
| 2001 | Uzbekistan joins; SCO formally established |
| 2017 | India and Pakistan become full members |
| 2023 | Iran joins as full member |
| 2024 | Belarus joins as full member |
