Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and international security organisation of ten member states. It focuses on political, economic, security and counter-terrorism cooperation.

It is the world's largest regional organisation in terms of geographic scope and population, covering at least 24% of the world's total area (65% of Eurasia) and 42% of the world population. As of 2024, its combined nominal GDP accounts for around 23%, while its GDP based on PPP comprises approximately 36% of the world's total.

The SCO is the successor to the Shanghai Five, formed in 1996 between China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. In June 2001, the leaders of these nations and Uzbekistan met in Shanghai to announce the SCO, a new organisation with deeper political and economic cooperation. In June 2017, it expanded to eight states, with India and Pakistan. Iran joined the group in July 2023, and Belarus in July 2024. Several countries are engaged as observers or dialogue partners. Its most recent meeting was held in September 2025 in Tianjin, China.

The SCO is governed by the Heads of State Council (HSC), its supreme decision-making body, which meets once a year. The organisation also contains the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).

Origins

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation began as the Shanghai Five group in 1996 when leaders from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan signed a treaty to build trust in border areas. The group grew over the next few years, signing more agreements to reduce military forces and support each other's independence and stability.

In 2001, the group met again in Shanghai and became the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, with Uzbekistan joining. The organisation grew quickly, creating many groups to work on economic and security issues. By 2003, it had official bodies like a Council of Heads of State and a Secretariat in Beijing. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, and the SCO now works with many other international groups.

Organisational structure

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has a clear structure for making decisions. The top body is the Council of Heads of State, made up of leaders from each member country. They meet once a year in different capital cities to discuss important issues.

There are also other groups, such as the Council of Heads of Government and the Council of Foreign Ministers, which meet regularly to talk about cooperation and plans. The main office, called the Secretariat, is located in Beijing, China, and helps carry out decisions and share information about the SCO. Another important part is the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which works on security matters. The SCO uses Chinese and Russian as its official languages.

Membership

Main article: Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) includes several countries that work together on political, economic, and security issues. These countries meet regularly to discuss ways to cooperate and support each other.

Some countries are not full members but have different roles, like observer states or dialogue partners, which allow them to attend meetings and share ideas. For example, Turkmenistan attends as a guest because it is a neutral country. Other countries, like Turkey, have shown interest in joining the SCO and have taken steps toward becoming full members.

Activities

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) works on many important issues to help keep its member countries safe and strong. One of its main focuses is on security. The SCO talks about big problems like terrorism, separatism, and extremism. It also works to stop bad things like human trafficking and weapons trafficking. The SCO makes lists of known terrorists to help stop their plans.

The SCO also works with other groups on military matters, like sharing information and doing practice exercises. Even though some members sometimes talk about working together more in the military, the SCO says it is not a military alliance. These exercises help members practice working together to keep peace and stop threats.

Besides security, the SCO helps its members work together on economics. This includes ideas like making it easier to trade goods, finding new energy sources, and even thinking about new ways to handle money. The SCO also has programs to help students from member countries study in each other’s schools. Cultural activities, like festivals, also bring the countries closer together.

RATS Military exercises

In December 2025, Iran held its first military exercises with six other member states on Iranian soil. These exercises, called the Sahand 2025 drills, took place after the war between Israel and Iran.

Summits

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation holds annual summits where leaders from member countries meet. These summits rotate between member states, following the alphabetical order of their names in Russian. The leaders discuss important issues like politics, economics, and security.

Before each big annual summit, foreign ministers also meet to prepare. If needed, they can have special meetings called by any two member states. Recent summits have taken place in cities such as Bishkek, Qingdao, and Samarkand.

Analysis

The United States tried to join the SCO as an observer in 2005 but was not accepted. During this time, the SCO asked the U.S. to leave some countries where it had troops. Over the years, the West has had mixed feelings about the SCO. At first, many were unsure about what the group wanted to do. But later, some saw it as a way to help keep peace, especially in places like Afghanistan.

The SCO talks a lot about working together in a way that respects each country's rights. Some people think the SCO wants to balance power in the world, especially in areas like the Persian Gulf and Central Asia. The group has also been careful not to support actions that might upset other countries. Even though some see the SCO as a way to counter Western influence, its members don't always agree on everything. For example, during a fight between Russia and Georgia in 2008, China did not support Russia. The SCO also stayed neutral during the conflict in Ukraine but worked to keep good relations between China and Russia.

Gallery of heads of state (members)

Here are the leaders of the countries that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Each picture shows the current head of state or government for each member country.

• Republic of Belarus - Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
• People's Republic of China - Xi Jinping, CCP General Secretary and President of China
• Republic of India - Droupadi Murmu, President of India
• Islamic Republic of Iran - Mojtaba Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran
• Republic of Kazakhstan - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyz Republic - Sadyr Japarov, President of Kyrgyzstan
• Islamic Republic of Pakistan - Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan
• Russian Federation - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
• Republic of Tajikistan - Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan
• Republic of Uzbekistan - Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan

Gallery of Heads of Government members

This section shows the leaders of governments from each member country of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The leaders include:

• Republic of Belarus: Aleksandr Turchin, Prime Minister of Belarus
• People's Republic of China: Li Qiang, Premier
• Republic of India: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
• Islamic Republic of Iran: Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran
• Republic of Kazakhstan: Oljas Bektenov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyz Republic: Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan
• Islamic Republic of Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan
• Russian Federation: Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of Russia
• Republic of Tajikistan: Kokhir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of Tajikistan
• Republic of Uzbekistan: Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan