[Development history]
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was established on June 15, 2001, with its founding members being China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In 2017, India and Pakistan joined the SCO. In 2023, Iran became a member, followed by Belarus in 2024, bringing the total number of SCO member states to 10. The SCO has two observer states—Afghanistan and Mongolia—and 14 dialogue partners, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Türkiye, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, the Maldives, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.
[Meeting mechanisms]
The supreme decision-making body of the SCO is the Council of Heads of States (CHS). It meets once a year and is hosted by the rotating presidency country.
The Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) (CHG) is an important meeting mechanism within the SCO. It meets once a year.
Additionally, the SCO framework includes various meeting mechanisms covering areas such as foreign affairs, national defense, security, economy and trade, culture, health, education, transport, emergency prevention and relief, science and technology, agriculture, the judiciary, tourism, and national coordination.
[Standing bodies]
The SCO has two standing bodies: the Secretariat in Beijing, and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The SCO Secretary General and the Director of the RATS Executive Committee are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a three-year term. On January 1, 2022, Zhang Ming (China) and R. E. Mirzaev (Uzbekistan) took office as the SCO Secretary General and Director of the RATS Executive Committee respectively.
[Official and working languages]
Chinese and Russian.
