Who is included in the SCO organization? 上海合作组织Shanghai Cooperation OrganizationThe Shanghai cooperation organization
Name:
Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO
Flag/Coat of Arms:
Status:
regional international organization
Structural units:
Council of Heads of State (CHS);
Council of Heads of Government (CHG);
Council of Foreign Ministers (CMFA);
Meetings of heads of ministries and departments;
Council of National Coordinators (CNC);
Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS);
The Secretariat is a permanent administrative body headed by the Secretary General (since 2012 - representative of the Russian Federation D.F. Mezentsev).
Interbank Association (IBO)
Activity:
In 2003, the heads of government of the SCO member countries signed the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation for 20 years. In September 2004, at the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO in Bishkek, an action plan for the implementation of this program was approved.
The plan includes over a hundred specific projects, topics and areas of cooperation, and also provides mechanisms for their implementation. The emphasis is on the following areas - transport communications, energy, telecommunications, agriculture, tourism, water management and nature conservation.
Official languages:
no official
Participating countries:
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China.
Story:
The prerequisites for the creation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization were laid back in the 60s of the 20th century, when the USSR and the PRC entered into negotiations to resolve territorial disputes. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, new negotiators emerged in the form of Russia and the Central Asian states. After the PRC resolved territorial disputes with neighboring CIS countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), the opportunity arose for further development of regional cooperation.
In 1996, the Shanghai Five was formed. Subsequent annual summits of the Shanghai Five were held in Moscow in 1997, Almaty (Kazakhstan) in 1998, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) in 1999 and Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in 2000. By the time of the Bishkek summit, the creation of permanent cooperation mechanisms had begun: meetings of ministers and expert groups. A new international organization began to take shape. There are national coordinators appointed by each country.
In 2001, a meeting was held in Shanghai. Then five participating countries accepted Uzbekistan into the organization, which led to the renaming of the organization to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization or the “Shanghai Six”.
The first documents adopted by the SCO were the “Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization”, the “Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism” and the “Joint Statement on the Connection of Uzbekistan to the Shanghai Five Mechanism”.
The meeting of heads of state in June 2002 in St. Petersburg continued the institutionalization of the SCO. The declaration on the creation of the organization was practically embodied in the signing of two acts - the Declaration of the Heads of State - members of the SCO, called the final political document by the Russian Foreign Minister, and the SCO Charter - the basic statutory document.
As a result of the Moscow summit (May 28-29, 2003), the SCO Secretariat with headquarters in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) were created (the agreement on its creation was signed a year earlier in St. Petersburg). The heads of the participating countries touched upon the issues of combating terrorism and extremism, in particular they paid special attention to the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Among the 30 documents signed then were provisions defining the functioning of the organization's bodies - provisions on the Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government and the Council of Foreign Ministers.
As a result of the Moscow summit, the organizational period of the SCO ended, and on January 1, 2004, it began to function as a full-fledged international structure with its own working mechanisms, personnel and budget.
As a result of the Tashkent summit (June 2004), the Tashkent Declaration following the meeting, the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the SCO, as well as a number of other documents were signed. The composition of the organization expanded due to the admission of a new member - Mongolia - as an observer.
At the meeting of the heads of state of the SCO held in 2005, in addition to a new package of treaties and conventions, a Declaration of the heads of state members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed, which recorded further consolidation of efforts and strengthening of coordination.
The main outcome documents of the Bishkek summit (August 2007) were the Treaty on Long-Term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states and the Bishkek Declaration of the Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states. The forum was also attended by the presidents of two observer countries to the SCO - President of Mongolia Nambaryn Enkhbayar and President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Two more observer states of the Organization were represented by Foreign Minister of Pakistan Khurshid Kasuri and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India Murli Deor.
In 2009, at a meeting in Yekaterinburg, the heads of the SCO member states decided to grant the status of an SCO dialogue partner to Sri Lanka and Belarus.
On April 28, 2010, a Memorandum was signed on granting the Republic of Belarus the status of an SCO dialogue partner, officially formalizing this status for Belarus.
On June 7, 2012, the leaders of the SCO member countries also signed a decision to grant Afghanistan observer status in the SCO and a decision to grant Turkey the status of a dialogue partner.
Notes:
The observer states of the SCO are: Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent regional international organization founded in June 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Prior to this, all countries, with the exception of Uzbekistan, were members of the “Shanghai Five”, a political association based on the “Agreement on Strengthening Confidence in the Military Field in the Border Area” (Shanghai, 1996) and the “Agreement on the Mutual Reduction of Armed Forces in the Border Area” (Moscow, 1997).
These two documents laid down a mechanism of mutual trust in the military field in border areas and contributed to the establishment of truly partnership relations. After the inclusion of Uzbekistan in the organization (2001), the “five” became the “six” and was renamed the SCO. In addition, currently four countries - Belarus, Iran, Mongolia and Afghanistan - have observer status in the organization, and six - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, Sri Lanka - are dialogue partners.
The tasks of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization initially lay in the sphere of mutual intraregional actions to suppress terrorist acts, separatism and extremism in Central Asia. In June 2002, at the St. Petersburg summit of the heads of state of the SCO, the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed (came into force on September 19, 2003). This is the basic statutory document that sets out the goals and principles of the Organization, its structure and main areas of activity. In addition, in 2006, the Organization announced plans to combat the international drug mafia as the financial support of terrorism in the world, and in 2008 - active participation in normalizing the situation in Afghanistan.
In parallel, the activities of the SCO have also acquired a broad economic focus. In September 2003, the heads of government of the SCO member countries signed the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation, designed for 20 years. The long-term goal is to create a free trade zone in the SCO space, and in the short term to intensify the process of creating favorable conditions in the field of trade and investment.
Today, cooperation within the SCO covers the fields of energy, transport, agriculture, telecommunications and many other sectors of the economy. The countries included in it interact widely in the scientific, technical, cultural, educational, tourism, and humanitarian spheres.
In relations within the Organization, the SCO member states proceed from the idea of the “Shanghai spirit”, adhere to the principles of consensus, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, respect for the diversity of cultures, and the desire for common development. In its foreign relations, the SCO proceeds from the principles of openness, non-affiliation with blocs, and non-direction against third countries.
The highest decision-making body in the SCO is the Council of Heads of Member States, which meets once a year. Countries preside over the Organization alternately, on an annual basis, ending their term of office with a summit.
The SCO has two permanent bodies - the Secretariat in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure in Tashkent. The most important economic instruments are the Business Council and the SCO Interbank Association.
Official working languages are Russian and Chinese.
In accordance with the decision of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Rashid Alimov took up the post of SCO Secretary General in January 2016.
The predecessor of the SCO was the “Shanghai Five” formed in 1996, uniting Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and designed to promote confidence in the military field between the participating countries and the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area. After the sixth member, Uzbekistan, joined the ranks of the five in 2001, the newly formed “Shanghai Six” was renamed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The renewed organization has opened up new areas of activity, and to date the SCO has turned into an organization of multidisciplinary, multi-format cooperation, whose potential and significance in the international arena is increasing every year. The fight against terrorism, separatism, extremism, cross-border crime and drug trafficking remains a priority for the SCO.
The growing authority of the SCO confirms the desire of more and more countries to join the organization. In 2004, Mongolia received observer status at the SCO. In 2005, the same status was assigned to a number of eastern countries: India, Iran, Pakistan. On April 28, 2010, another link connecting East and West in the SCO was Belarus, which was admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a dialogue partner. Sri Lanka received the same status. Now the SCO occupies 60 percent of the territory of Eurasia. An organization that uses such territorial, human and economic resources is doomed to authority and influence.
SCO bodies
The highest decision-making body in the SCO is the Council of Heads of Member States, which meets annually. The Council of Heads of Member States determines priorities and develops the main directions of the Organization's activities. Countries preside over the Organization alternately, on an annual basis, ending their term of office with a summit. In 2010-2011, Kazakhstan presided over the SCO. Since January 1, 2010, the post of SCO Secretary General has been occupied by Muratbek Imanaliev (Kyrgyzstan).
The Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) adopts the Organization's budget, considers and resolves major economic issues in the areas of developing interaction within the Organization.
The Council of Foreign Ministers considers issues of the current activities of the Organization, holding consultations within the Organization on international issues. If necessary, the Council may make statements on behalf of the SCO.
To consider specific issues of developing interaction within the SCO, meetings of heads of ministries and/or departments are held. Meetings are held in accordance with decisions of the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers).
The coordination and management of the current activities of the organization is carried out by the Council of National Coordinators.
A permanent body of the SCO is the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the States Parties to the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism of June 15, 2001.
The permanent administrative body of the SCO is the SCO Secretariat. The Secretariat is engaged in organizational and technical support for events held within the SCO, and prepares proposals for the annual budget of the Organization.
Working structures of the SCO
The main working structures of the SCO are the SCO Business Council, the SCO Interbank Association (IBO), the SCO Forum and the SCO Youth Council.
The Business Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established on June 14, 2006 in Shanghai. The SCO Business Council is a non-governmental structure. It brings together the most authoritative representatives of the business community of the SCO member countries. The main goal of the Business Council is to expand economic cooperation within the Organization, establish direct connections and dialogue between the business and financial circles of the SCO member states.
The SCO Interbank Association was created in 2005. The IBO members included the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, the State Development Bank of China, Vnesheconombank of Russia, the National Bank of Tajikistan, and the National Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs of Uzbekistan. On June 14, 2006 in Shanghai, during the second meeting of the SCO IBO Council, the Savings and Accounts Company of Kyrgyzstan also became a member of the association.
The purpose of the SCO Forum is scientific support for the activities of the SCO, development of interaction between research and political science centers of the SCO member states. The SCO Forum is engaged in conducting joint research on topical issues of the Organization’s terms of reference, explaining the tasks and principles of the SCO’s activities, expanding its relations with scientific and public circles, etc.
The main task of the SCO Youth Council is “cooperation and exchange of experience among representatives of the younger generation of the SCO countries in various areas of young personality development, which could ensure the fundamental continuity of the SCO policy and contribute to the implementation of its historical mission.”
Belarus is a partner of the SCO
For Belarus, dialogue with the SCO is an opportunity to join interregional cooperation projects, taking into account the advantageous transit position between East and West. For the SCO, Belarus is an access to the European platform, strengthening ties between East and West. The Memorandum providing for the granting of dialogue partner status to Belarus stipulates a number of mutually beneficial areas for cooperation. Among them are the creation of favorable conditions for trade and investment, increased interaction in customs matters, partnership in matters of regional and global security, and the development of dialogue on foreign policy issues.
Back in December 2005, Belarus submitted an application to join the SCO as an observer country. But due to the decision of the participating countries not to increase the number of observer countries in the near future, the application to Belarus was considered. In 2009, the Belarusian application for dialogue partner status was approved. The practice of interaction with partner countries in the SCO has not yet been developed, but most participating countries are inclined to believe that there will not be much difference in the status of observer and dialogue partner.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization, the creation of which was announced on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai (PRC) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.
In June 2002, at the St. Petersburg Summit of the Heads of SCO Member States, the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed, which came into force on September 19, 2003. This is a basic statutory document that sets out the goals and principles of the organization, its structure and main areas of activity.
On June 8-9, 2017, a historic meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization took place in Astana, during which the status of a member state of the Organization was granted to the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The main goals of the SCO include: strengthening mutual trust and good neighborliness between member countries; promoting their effective cooperation in political, trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural fields, as well as in the fields of education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection and others; jointly ensuring and maintaining peace, security and stability in the region; progress towards the creation of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.
In relations within the organization, the SCO member states, based on the "Shanghai Spirit", adhere to the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultation, respect for the diversity of cultures and the desire for common development, and in external relations they adhere to the principle of non-alliance and not targeting anyone and openness.
The highest decision-making body in the SCO is the Council of Heads of Member States (CHS). It meets once a year and makes decisions and instructions on all important issues of the Organization. The Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO member states (CHG) meets once a year to discuss the strategy of multilateral cooperation and priority areas within the Organization, resolve fundamental and pressing issues of economic and other cooperation, and also approves the annual budget of the Organization. The official languages of the SCO are Russian and Chinese.
In addition to the meetings of the CHS and the CST, there is also a mechanism for meetings at the level of heads of parliaments, secretaries of security councils, ministers of foreign affairs, defense, emergency situations, economics, transport, culture, education, health, heads of law enforcement agencies, supreme and arbitration courts, and prosecutors general. The coordination mechanism within the SCO is the Council of National Coordinators of the SCO Member States (SNK).
The organization has two permanent bodies - the SCO Secretariat in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) in Tashkent. The SCO Secretary General and the Director of the SCO RATS Executive Committee are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a period of three years. Since January 1, 2016, these posts have been respectively occupied by Rashid Alimov (Tajikistan) and Evgeniy Sysoev (Russia).
So currently:
- eight countries are member states of the SCO - the Republic of India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan;
- four countries have observer state status with the SCO - the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Mongolia;
- six countries are SCO dialogue partners - the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Republic of Turkey, and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
The content of the article
SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION, SCO is a subregional international organization that includes 6 states - Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The total territory of the SCO member states is 61% of the territory of Eurasia, its total demographic potential is a quarter of the world's population, and its economic potential includes the most powerful Chinese economy after the United States. Official working languages are Russian and Chinese. Headquarters in Beijing.
The symbols of the SCO include a white flag with the organization's coat of arms in the center. The coat of arms depicts two laurel wreaths on the sides, in the center - a symbolic image of the Eastern Hemisphere of the earth with the outlines of the earth's landmass, which is occupied by the "six", above and below - the inscription in Chinese and Russian: "Shanghai Cooperation Organization".
Main stages of development of the SCO.
The predecessor of the SCO was the so-called “Shanghai Five” (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Tajikistan), formed as a result of the signing Agreements on confidence-building in the military field in the border area(1996) and Agreements on mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area(1997). The rapprochement of these countries was dictated primarily by the threat to the security of their border territories from the main source of instability in Central Asia - Afghanistan, where there was a civil war between the troops of the Northern Coalition and the Taliban. The first of these two agreements was signed in Shanghai, giving rise to the term "Shanghai Five". Joint work at the summits in Almaty (1998), Bishkek (1999), Dushanbe (2000) made it possible to create an atmosphere of what came to be called the “Shanghai spirit” - to develop an atmosphere of mutual trust, through the first experience of mutual consultations to come to a mechanism for achieving consensus and voluntary agreement to comply with the provisions of the agreements reached. Gradually, the range of issues expanded to the areas of foreign policy, economics, environmental protection, including the use of water resources, culture, etc. All this led to the need to formalize the system of summits and consultations into a new regional association.
On June 14–15, 2001, a meeting of the heads of six states – Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – took place in Shanghai, at which the creation of the SCO was announced. As adopted at the summit Declarations The main goals were declared to be maintaining and ensuring peace, security and stability in Central Asia, as well as developing cooperation in political, trade, economic, scientific, technical, cultural, educational, energy, transport, environmental and other fields. Another important document is Convention against terrorism, separatism and extremism For the first time, it established at the international level the definition of separatism and extremism as violent, criminally prosecuted acts. Its signing comes as China worries about separatist uprisings near the borders with Central Asia, where the Uyghurs, Turkic-speaking Muslims who inhabit western China, live. Another no less interested country, Uzbekistan, has the largest population of all Central Asian states and is most susceptible to manifestations of separatism on the part of radical supporters of the restoration of the Islamic caliphate in the region.
In June 2002, the second meeting of the heads of SCO member states was held in St. Petersburg, at which three documents were signed - Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Agreement between the SCO member states on the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure And Declaration of the Heads of SCO Member States. The Charter legally enshrined those proclaimed a year earlier in Declarations guidelines for the development of the SCO. This charter gives the “six” the status of an international organization and is a basic document that determines, along with the main areas of cooperation, the internal structure and mechanism for forming a common course and building relationships with other countries and organizations.
The charter was signed in 2002 and ratified by the Federation Council in 2003.
On the basis of the 2001 Convention, in order to improve interaction in the fight against terrorism, separatism, extremism, illicit drug and weapons trafficking, as well as illegal migration, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) was created, which received the status of a permanent SCO body in 2002. Its functions include coordinating the actions of law enforcement agencies and intelligence services of the SCO states.
In May 2003, the third key summit meeting in the history of the SCO took place in Moscow. At it, documents were signed defining the operating procedures of the main SCO bodies, the mechanism for forming the budget and other issues related to the current work of various SCO divisions. The coat of arms and flag of the organization were adopted. The Russian-speaking Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Russia, Zhang Deguang, was chosen as the first executive secretary of the SCO. According to most analysts, we can talk about the practical completion of the organizational development of this organization at the Moscow summit, which was noted in the political Declaration adopted following the meeting. It also set the task of developing a clear mechanism for foreign policy coordination of the actions of SCO members both in Central Asia and in general on the world stage.
Main bodies of the SCO.
The operating procedure of the SCO bodies was finally determined only at the Moscow summit in 2003. It was decided that all main structures of the SCO will begin full-fledged work in January 2004. By this time, it is planned to complete the construction of the headquarters in Beijing and the preparatory work of the embassies of the member countries in Beijing for ensuring the activities of the secretariat during the initial period of work. The list of major organs includes:
Council of Heads of State– annual SCO summits in the capitals of participating countries.
Council of Heads of Government.
Council of Foreign Ministers(CMID) - the first meeting was held in November 2002. Prefaces high-level meetings, coordinates the positions of participants and prepares key documents for signing by heads of state (as in May 2003), and also accepts its own appeals (on the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention against International terrorism and the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism in 2002).
Meetings of heads of ministries and departments– the first meetings of defense ministers took place back in 2000 within the framework of the Five, and since then they have been held on a regular basis.
Secretariat(Beijing) - it is planned to employ up to 40 people and should begin work in 2004.
Regional anti-terrorist structure(RATS) (Bishkek). In August 2003, anti-terrorism exercises of the armed forces of the SCO countries “Interaction-2003” took place. Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan (Tajikistan as an observer) took part in the first stage of the exercise in Kazakhstan. The second stage took place in China. Full operation of the RATS headquarters is expected in 2004.
Problems and prospects of the SCO.
Pessimistic experts point out that the two most obvious problems of the SCO are too large divergences of interests between its members and uncertainty about its status due to the duplication of many SCO functions by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which recently formed in Dushanbe, which includes four of six members of the SCO. In addition, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have not yet ratified the SCO charter, adopted in 2002. This hinders the registration of the SCO with the UN and, as a consequence, international recognition of its subjectivity. At the same time, countries such as Iran, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the USA and regional organizations such as ASEAN and the EU are showing interest in cooperation.
The question of the foreign policy orientation of the participating countries remains one of the key ones when assessing the development prospects of this organization. Analysts note that initiatives such as the project of a transport corridor from Shanghai to St. Petersburg - the prototype of the revived "Great Silk Road" - were accepted by the SCO as an alternative after the EU and the United States supported the project of a transport corridor from Europe to Asia TRACECA (TRACECA, Transport Corridor Europe Caucasus Asia).
The most clear differences between the SCO countries emerged regarding the war in Iraq in 2003. Then Russia, together with France and Germany, tried to prevent the outbreak of war, China verbally condemned the actions of the anti-Iraq coalition, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan took a generally neutral position, and Uzbekistan unconditionally supported military campaign. At the same time, the fact that Uzbekistan withdrew in 2002 from the regional organization GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova) formed in 1997 and entered the SCO in 2001 in advance speaks of the growing weight and attractiveness of this organization for the countries of the region.
The importance of the SCO.
The international weight of this organization is determined not only by the combined demographic and territorial potential of its member countries, but also by the emerging strategic partnership between the two nuclear powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council - Russia and China. This determines the role of the SCO in building a collective security system both in Central Asia and in the Asia-Pacific region. The SCO is an open organization to admit new members who share its basic principles. Although security issues were initially decisive in the formation of the SCO and remain one of the highest priorities, at the same time it would be incorrect to regard it as a military organization. This status is unacceptable due to the participation of SCO member countries in international unions and organizations with various obligations. So for China, its participation is generally an exception to the rule, since this country traditionally professes a policy of non-alignment with blocs of any states, adhering to independence and independence in foreign policy.
As many experts note, membership in the SCO largely meets the geopolitical interests of its participants. Thus, some SCO initiatives are obviously aimed at weakening American influence in the region, which corresponds to China’s desire to weaken American influence in the region and meets Russia’s desire to create a multipolar world, voiced under Foreign Minister and then Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Yevgeny Primakov. According to Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, speaking after the Moscow summit in 2003, “The SCO must become a modern organization of a new type, meeting the requirements of a multipolar world.”
Mikhail Lipkin
APPLICATION
CHARTER OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION
Meeting of heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, St. Petersburg, June 7, 2002
The Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, which are the founding states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as the SCO or the Organization),
based on the historical ties of their peoples;
Seeking to further deepen comprehensive cooperation;
desiring through joint efforts to contribute to strengthening peace, ensuring security and stability in the region in the context of the development of processes of political multipolarity, economic and information globalization;
Convinced that the creation of the SCO contributes to more effective joint use of emerging opportunities and countering new challenges and threats;
considering that interaction within the SCO helps to unlock the enormous potential of good neighborliness, unity and cooperation between states and their peoples;
based on the spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultation, respect for the diversity of cultures and the desire for common development, established at the meeting of the heads of six states in Shanghai (2001);
Noting that compliance with the principles set forth in the Agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the People's Republic of China on confidence-building in the military field in the border area of April 26, 1996 and in the Agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the People's Republic of China on the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area dated April 24, 1997, as well as in documents signed during summit meetings of the heads of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan from 1998 to 2001, made an important contribution to maintaining peace, security and stability in the region and throughout the world;
reaffirming its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, other generally recognized principles and norms of international law relating to the maintenance of international peace, security and the development of good neighborly and friendly relations, as well as cooperation between states;
guided by the provisions of the Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization of June 15, 2001;
agreed on the following:
Goals and objectives
The main goals and objectives of the SCO are:
strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good neighborliness between member states;
development of multidisciplinary cooperation in order to maintain and strengthen peace, security and stability in the region, promote the construction of a new democratic, fair and rational political and economic international order;
joint counteraction to terrorism, separatism and extremism in all their manifestations, the fight against illegal drug and weapons trafficking, other types of transnational criminal activities, as well as illegal migration;
encouraging effective regional cooperation in political, trade, economic, defense, law enforcement, environmental, cultural, scientific and technical, educational, energy, transport, credit and financial and other areas of common interest;
promoting comprehensive and balanced economic growth, social and cultural development in the region through joint actions on the basis of equal partnership in order to steadily increase the level and improve the living conditions of the peoples of the Member States;
coordination of approaches to integration into the world economy;
promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the international obligations of member states and their national legislation;
maintaining and developing relations with other states and international organizations;
interaction in the prevention of international conflicts and their peaceful resolution;
joint search for solutions to problems that will arise in the 21st century.
Principles
The SCO member states adhere to the following principles:
mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of states and the inviolability of state borders, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of force in international relations, renunciation of unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas;
equality of rights of all member states, search for common points of view based on mutual understanding and respect for the opinions of each of them;
gradual implementation of joint actions in areas of common interest;
peaceful resolution of disagreements between member states;
the SCO is not directed against other states and international organizations;
preventing any illegal actions directed against the interests of the SCO;
conscientious fulfillment of obligations arising from this Charter and other documents adopted within the SCO.
Areas of cooperation
The main areas of cooperation within the SCO are:
maintaining peace and strengthening security and confidence in the region;
searching for common points of view on foreign policy issues of common interest, including in international organizations and international forums;
development and implementation of measures to jointly combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, illicit drug and weapons trafficking, other types of transnational criminal activity, as well as illegal migration;
coordination of efforts on disarmament and arms control issues;
support and encouragement of regional economic cooperation in various forms, promoting the creation of favorable conditions for trade and investment in order to gradually implement the free movement of goods, capital, services and technology;
efficient use of existing infrastructure in the field of transport and communications, improvement of the transit potential of member states, development of energy systems;
ensuring rational environmental management, including the use of water resources in the region, implementing joint special environmental programs and projects;
providing mutual assistance in preventing natural and man-made emergencies and eliminating their consequences;
exchange of legal information in the interests of developing cooperation within the SCO;
expanding interaction in the fields of science and technology, education, healthcare, culture, sports and tourism.
The SCO member states can, by mutual agreement, expand the areas of cooperation.
1. To fulfill the goals and objectives of this Charter, the following operate within the Organization:
Council of Heads of State;
Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers);
Council of Foreign Ministers;
Meetings of heads of ministries and/or departments;
Council of National Coordinators;
Regional anti-terrorist structure;
Secretariat.
2. The functions and operating procedures of the SCO bodies, with the exception of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, are determined by the relevant provisions, which are approved by the Council of Heads of State.
3. The Council of Heads of State may decide to create other SCO bodies. The creation of new bodies is formalized in the form of additional protocols to this Charter, which come into force in the manner prescribed by Article 21 of this Charter.
Council of Heads of State
The Council of Heads of State is the highest body of the SCO. It determines priorities and develops the main directions of the Organization’s activities, resolves fundamental issues of its internal structure and functioning, interaction with other states and international organizations, and also considers the most pressing international problems.
The Council meets for regular meetings once a year. The chairmanship at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State is carried out by the head of state - the organizer of the next meeting. The location of the next meeting of the Council is determined, as a rule, in the order of the Russian alphabet of the names of the SCO member states.
Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers)
The Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) adopts the Organization's budget, considers and resolves major issues related to specific, especially economic, areas of development of interaction within the Organization.
The Council meets for regular meetings once a year. The Council meeting is chaired by the head of government (Prime Minister) of the state in whose territory the meeting is being held.
The location of the next meeting of the Council is determined by prior agreement of the heads of government (prime ministers) of the member states.
Council of Foreign Ministers
The Council of Foreign Ministers considers issues of the current activities of the Organization, preparation for a meeting of the Council of Heads of State and consultations within the Organization on international issues. The Council may, if necessary, make statements on behalf of the SCO.
The Council usually meets one month before the meeting of the Council of Heads of State. Extraordinary meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers are convened on the initiative of at least two member states and with the consent of the foreign ministers of all other member states. The location of the regular and extraordinary meetings of the Council is determined by mutual agreement.
The Council is presided over by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the state member of the Organization on whose territory the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State is held, for the period starting from the date of completion of the last regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State and ending with the date of the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State.
The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, when carrying out external contacts, represents the Organization in accordance with the Regulations on the procedure for the work of the Council.
Meetings of heads of ministries and/or departments
In accordance with the decisions of the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers), heads of line ministries and/or departments of member states regularly hold meetings to consider specific issues of developing interaction in relevant areas within the SCO.
The chairmanship is carried out by the head of the relevant ministry and/or department of the state organizing the meeting. The place and time of the meeting are agreed upon in advance.
To prepare and conduct meetings, by prior agreement of the member states, working groups of experts can be created on a permanent or temporary basis, which carry out their activities in accordance with the work regulations approved at meetings of heads of ministries and/or departments. These groups are formed from representatives of ministries and/or departments of member states.
Council of National Coordinators
The Council of National Coordinators is the SCO body that coordinates and manages the current activities of the Organization. It carries out the necessary preparations for meetings of the Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) and the Council of Foreign Ministers. National focal points are appointed by each Member State in accordance with its internal rules and procedures.
The Council meets at least three times a year. The Council is presided over by the national coordinator of the member state of the Organization on whose territory the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State will be held, for the period starting from the date of completion of the last regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State and ending with the date of the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State.
The Chairman of the Council of National Coordinators, on behalf of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, may represent the Organization in carrying out external contacts in accordance with the Regulations on the procedure for the work of the Council of National Coordinators.
Regional anti-terrorist structure
The regional anti-terrorist structure of the member states of the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism of June 15, 2001, located in the city of Bishkek (Kyrgyz Republic), is a permanent body of the SCO.
Its main tasks and functions, principles of formation and financing, as well as the procedure for its activities are regulated by a separate international treaty concluded between the member states and other necessary documents adopted by them.
Secretariat
The Secretariat is a permanent administrative body of the SCO. It provides organizational and technical support for events held within the SCO and prepares proposals for the annual budget of the Organization.
The Secretariat is headed by the Executive Secretary, who is approved by the Council of Heads of State on the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers.
The Executive Secretary is appointed from among the citizens of the Member States on a rotational basis in order of the Russian alphabet of the names of the Member States for a period of three years without the right of extension for the next term.
Deputy Executive Secretaries are approved by the Council of Foreign Ministers on the recommendation of the Council of National Coordinators. They cannot be representatives of the state from which the Executive Secretary is appointed.
Officials of the Secretariat are recruited from among citizens of Member States on a quota basis.
In the performance of their official duties, the Executive Secretary, his deputies and other officials of the Secretariat shall not seek or receive instructions from any Member State and/or government, organization or individual. They must refrain from any actions that could affect their position as international officials responsible only to the SCO.
Member States undertake to respect the international nature of the duties of the Executive Secretary, his deputies and the staff of the Secretariat and not to influence them in the performance of their official duties.
The location of the SCO Secretariat is Beijing (People's Republic of China).
Financing
The SCO has its own budget, which is formed and executed in accordance with a special Agreement between the member states. This Agreement also determines the amount of contributions that Member States make annually to the Organization's budget on a cost-sharing basis.
Budget funds are used to finance permanent SCO bodies in accordance with the above-mentioned Agreement. Member states independently bear the costs associated with the participation of their representatives and experts in the activities of the Organization.
Membership
The SCO is open to admit as members other states in the region that undertake to comply with the goals and principles of this Charter, as well as the provisions of other international treaties and documents adopted within the SCO.
The decision on the admission of new members to the SCO is made by the Council of Heads of State upon the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers on the basis of an official application from the interested state sent to the current Chairman of the Council of Foreign Ministers.
The SCO membership of a member state that violates the provisions of this Charter and/or systematically fails to fulfill its obligations under international treaties and documents concluded within the SCO may be suspended upon the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers by a decision of the Council of Heads of State. If this state continues to violate its obligations, then the Council of Heads of State may decide to expel it from the SCO from a date determined by the Council itself.
Any member state has the right to withdraw from the SCO by sending the depositary an official notice of withdrawal from this Charter no later than twelve months before the date of withdrawal. The obligations that arose during the period of participation in this Charter and other documents adopted within the SCO bind the relevant states until they are fully implemented.
Relations with other states and international organizations
The SCO can enter into interaction and dialogue, including in certain areas of cooperation, with other states and international organizations.
The SCO may grant an interested state or international organization the status of dialogue partner or observer. The procedure and procedures for granting such status are established by a special agreement between the Member States.
This Charter does not affect the rights and obligations of member states under other international treaties to which they are parties.
Legal capacity
The SCO, as a subject of international law, has international legal capacity. It enjoys in the territory of each Member State such legal capacity as is necessary for the implementation of its goals and objectives.
The SCO enjoys the rights of a legal entity and can, in particular:
– conclude contracts;
– acquire movable and immovable property and dispose of it;
– act in courts as a plaintiff or defendant;
– open accounts and make transactions with funds.
Decision making procedure
Decisions in the SCO bodies are made by agreement without voting and are considered adopted if none of the member states objected to them during the approval process (consensus), with the exception of decisions on suspension of membership or expulsion from the Organization, which are made according to the “consensus” principle minus one vote of the Member State concerned.”
Any member state can express its point of view on individual aspects and/or specific issues of decisions taken, which is not an obstacle to making a decision as a whole. This point of view is recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
In cases of disinterest of one or more Member States in the implementation of certain cooperation projects of interest to other Member States, the non-participation in them of these Member States does not prevent the implementation of such cooperation projects by interested Member States and, at the same time, does not prevent the said States -members to join in the implementation of such projects in the future.
Execution of decisions
Decisions of SCO bodies are executed by member states in accordance with procedures determined by their national legislation.
Monitoring the fulfillment of the obligations of the member states to implement this Charter, other treaties in force within the SCO and decisions of its bodies is carried out by the SCO bodies within their competence.
Permanent Representatives
Member states, in accordance with their internal rules and procedures, appoint their permanent representatives to the SCO Secretariat, who will be part of the diplomatic staff of the embassies of the member states in Beijing.
Privileges and immunities
The SCO and its officials enjoy privileges and immunities in the territories of all member states that are necessary to perform the functions and achieve the goals of the Organization.
The scope of privileges and immunities of the SCO and its officials is determined by a separate international treaty.
The official and working languages of the SCO are Russian and Chinese.
Duration and entry into force
This Charter is concluded for an indefinite period.
This Charter is subject to ratification by the signatory States and shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of deposit of the fourth instrument of ratification with the Depositary.
For a State that has signed this Charter and ratified it later, it shall enter into force on the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification with the depositary.
After the entry into force of this Charter, it is open for accession by any state.
For the acceding state, this Charter comes into force on the thirtieth day from the date of receipt by the depositary of the relevant documents of accession.
Dispute Resolution
In the event of disputes and disagreements arising in connection with the interpretation or application of this Charter, Member States will resolve them through consultations and negotiations.
Changes and additions
This Charter may be amended and supplemented by mutual agreement of the Member States. Decisions of the Council of Heads of State to make changes and additions are formalized in separate protocols, which are its integral part and come into force in the manner provided for in Article 21 of this Charter.
Reservations
Reservations cannot be made to this Charter that contradict the principles, goals and objectives of the Organization, or that may interfere with the performance of any SCO body of its functions. If at least 2/3 of the Member States have objections, the reservations must be considered to be contrary to the principles, purposes and purposes of the Organization or to interfere with the performance of any organ of its functions and have no legal effect.
Depository
The depositary of this Charter is the People's Republic of China.
Registration
This Charter, in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations, is subject to registration with the Secretariat of the United Nations.
Done in the city of St. Petersburg on June 7, 2002, in one copy in Russian and Chinese, both texts being equally authentic.
An original copy of this Charter shall be deposited with the depositary, which shall forward certified copies to all signatory States.
For the Republic
Kazakhstan
For the Chinese
People's
Republic
For the Kyrgyz
Republic
For the Russian
Federation
For the Republic of Tajikistan
For the Republic of Uzbekistan
Literature:
Systematic history of international relations in 4 volumes. Events and documents. 1918–2003. Ed. A.D. Bogaturova. Volume three. Events. 1945–2003. Section IV. Globalization. Chapter 13. M, NOFMO, 2003
Lukin A., Mochulsky A. Shanghai Cooperation Organization: structural design and development prospects. – Analytical notes. M., MGIMO, vol. 2(4), February 2005
