The role of the SCO in international relations. Goals, objectives and principles of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Mechanisms and organizational structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Military activities of the SCO

The other day a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries will be held in Dushanbe. It has not yet been fully formed; its long-term agenda and areas of interaction are being clarified. But measures are already being discussed and taken on the most important issues for the participating countries. global and regional problems. IN live Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary, leading employee of the Institute visited the video channel site international studies MGIMO (U) Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Konarovsky.

SCO summit: Russia will go to the East?

— The main objectives of the SCO: ensuring the security of member countries, economic cooperation and mutual cultural exchange. We have a special coordinator in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for SCO affairs, who is also the representative of the President of the Russian Federation for SCO affairs. I worked for three years as a deputy Secretary General The SCO in the secretariat in Beijing dealt with political issues, security and other key tasks.

— When will the SCO Development Bank be created?

— In principle, it is already in the process of creation. There were contradictions regarding the forms of financial support. The Chinese had an idea to create a bank, and Russia had a special account in some bank. Then we decided that there would be something in between. Everyone is really interested in this bank. Because the economic component is an important part of the SCO, but the problem is that there are still no large joint economic projects there.

- And the Great silk road?

— Yes, this is a Chinese idea recently put forward by Xi Jinping. It is aimed precisely at making multilateral economic ties states Of course, we supported this idea when Putin was on a visit to China.

This is a truly large-scale task, but so far it has not materialized into any specific proposals or projects. The SCO countries are constantly trying to find more common denominators and approaches to solving common problems.

Previously, the West was very actively discussing the issue that the SCO was sort of like an analogue, a prototype of NATO. This is wrong. There is no military component in the SCO. Joint military activities are not provided for in the charter, but security issues are important for everyone.

— Is this what the CSTO does?

— Yes, but the CSTO is completely different. The CSTO includes Russia and several countries former USSR, including Central Asia. The SCO and CSTO have no direct relationship with each other, but they can cooperate to some extent.

— Not long ago, leaders gathered in Beijing general staffs five SCO countries...

— These are standard regular meetings. They exchange views on issues important to the participants.

The situation in Afghanistan, as you know, is extremely complex and difficult from the point of view of future prospects, especially after the withdrawal of American and NATO troops. This is a huge problem for the SCO countries. Because all the SCO countries - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan - are actually neighbors of Afghanistan or countries close to it. What happens affects them greatly. Instability in Afghanistan could quickly spread to Central Asia. Some political scientists are trying to hush this up, saying that there seems to be no reason to worry, it’s not that important. In fact it really is real threat. Instability that could spill beyond Afghanistan's borders, mainly to the north, is dangerous. Fundamentalist influences can seep out from there and representatives of military-political groups, including people from Central Asia. The influence of the fundamental Islamic political and military-political factor, including from the Taliban in Afghanistan, of course, has an impact on stability, including in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. For the Chinese this is a very big and growing headache. Because the situation there is really very unstable. All this is being discussed regionally. We do not give recipes to the Chinese on how or what to do, just as they do not give us recipes.

— What if, for example, the Taliban penetrates or launches a direct invasion of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Uyghur territories?

“Then collective and bilateral military action will be taken against this outrage.” The CSTO has corresponding structures. And all SCO countries except Uzbekistan are members of the CSTO from Central Asia. Military cooperation with Uzbekistan is built on a bilateral basis. This slightly complicates the structure of countering possible attacks by these terrorist elements. But, nevertheless, it’s all there. The work is carried out directly through the CSTO.

Moreover, there is constant coordination between the CSTO and the relevant structures of the SCO on how and what is being done and planned. Although the SCO military structure no, security issues are among the main ones. China recently conducted counter-terrorism exercises. They are aimed specifically at practicing counteraction to some possible terrorist attacks.

— What about the fight against drugs?

— This is also on the SCO agenda. Absolutely. There are annual very productive meetings of the heads of anti-drug departments of all SCO countries. A very effective regional anti-terrorist structure of the SCO operates in Tashkent. They specifically deal with issues of collective interaction in this area. This work will intensify. Plus, it is planned to transfer issues related to drugs there. If previously this was mainly done in Beijing, now they have decided to expand it.

Moreover, it is precisely in the area of ​​cooperation in the field of security, including counter-terrorism and drugs, that the SCO observer countries, including India, Pakistan, Iran, are showing active interest... They are quite actively participating in these discussions, not yet being members.

By the way, at the upcoming Dushanbe summit the issue of technical processing of applications for new members will be discussed. This is a very important milestone, which will be completed in Dushanbe. This is very important because it will open the way for many countries to join the SCO. This is politically important for these countries, and for the SCO, including Russia, especially considering the current international situation.

—Who can be accepted first?

— Pakistan and India are close to joining. Iran has less chance because it is under international sanctions.

- Just like we already are.

— We are already members of the SCO. And according to the SCO charter, a country under international sanctions does not have the right to join the SCO.

— Is Afghanistan also an observer?

— Yes, Afghanistan was also accepted as an observer in 2012. And this is also politically important for Afghanistan - to constantly expand its presence in the SCO structures and coordinate its life with these states. This is very positive. There is the so-called Istanbul Initiative, which was once demonstrated by Kabul and Ankara. It is aimed at ensuring that Afghanistan is increasingly incorporated into regional economic organizations cooperation.

— The Americans, connecting the Europeans, are attacking us Lately constantly pressed. Are the Americans putting pressure on China in the same way along with the Japanese?

- Certainly. It is not for nothing that in the recently adopted American military strategy the main military-political attention was paid precisely to East Asia. And the main military forces were sent there. I don’t know how they will act now given the situation. They want to strengthen NATO along Russia's borders. In general, they will have to change a lot. They claim that they will leave Afghanistan by 2016. But why then do they insist that the Afghans sign a security treaty with them? They seem to be leaving Afghanistan, but on the other hand, they somehow remain. Of course, Central Asia is important to them. They strive to spoil us everywhere. This is clear. Especially now. The Western theater was deployed in Ukraine. Now they will try to aggravate the situation in the southern theater, of course. They strive to grab everything for themselves. But this is unrealistic. We also have our own line of relations with Afghanistan. It was and remains open. The same goes for the Chinese. They did not fall under the Americans. And they provide assistance to Afghanistan not through them, but directly. Now it is very important that external forces, who are so worried about the situation in Afghanistan, work together.

— For now, the SCO is still in its infancy. Is its potential greater than what is currently being used?

- Very correct. Absolutely spot on. The potential of the SCO is quite large and has not yet been fully realized.

Interviewed by Said Gafurov

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – regional international association, which includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Since 2004, the SCO has been an observer at the UN General Assembly. The history of the creation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the interaction of the countries included in the association and the prospects for the development of the SCO - in the TASS material.

How was the SCO created?

• Intensive dialogue between member countries of the organization began 20 years ago. In 1996, the first meeting of the heads of five states – Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – took place in Shanghai. The summit participants signed an agreement to strengthen confidence in military field in the border area. Based on this agreement, a political association emerged known as the Shanghai Five. The main goal of the unification was to ensure stability along the border of the former Soviet republics and China.
• In 1997, another agreement was signed - on the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area. The agreements became the first real steps towards military detente in the Asia-Pacific region.
• The third meeting of the heads of state of the Shanghai Five took place in 1998, ending with the signing of a final joint statement by the foreign ministers, which supported Kazakhstan's proposal to convene a meeting on interaction and confidence-building measures in Asia.
• A declaration on the main directions of the association's strategic partnership was signed in 1999. At the meeting of the Shanghai Five leaders, the topic of combating cross-border crime, drug trafficking and organized crime was discussed. Special attention was devoted to the issues of restoring the Great Silk Road.
• Successful cooperation has allowed the five countries to go beyond cross-border cooperation. In 2000, the Shanghai Five was transformed into the Shanghai Forum, and Uzbekistan took part in the summit as an observer.
• In 2001, after Uzbekistan joined the “five”, the heads of six states signed the Declaration on the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The goals of the organization were stated to be stabilization of the situation in Central Asia, strengthening of friendship and good neighborliness between the participating states, development of cooperation in political, economic, scientific and other spheres. As a result of the meeting, the SCO member countries signed the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, and agreed to create a regional anti-terrorist structure with a center in Bishkek.
• According to the SCO Charter, the goals of the alliance are stability and security in the region, as well as the fight against terrorism and extremism, development economic cooperation, energy partnership, scientific and cultural interaction. Priority areas – development transport infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, oil and gas sector, Agriculture, usage water resources and etc.

How did the SCO develop in the future?

• The formation of the SCO as an organization was completed in 2002. At the meeting of heads of state in St. Petersburg, the Declaration of the Heads of SCO Member States and the SCO Charter were signed, and an agreement was concluded on the creation of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure.
• An important step for the SCO was the meeting of the Council of Heads of State in 2005: it was decided to grant observer status to three major Asian powers - India, Iran and Pakistan. Previously, in 2004, this status was granted to Mongolia. There has been a geographical expansion of the organization, which has made it possible to fundamentally increase the international weight of the SCO.
• In 2007, the SCO countries signed an Agreement on Long-Term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation.
• In 2009, a decision was made to grant dialogue partner status to Sri Lanka and Belarus.
• In 2012, the leaders of the SCO countries adopted a Declaration on building a region of long-term peace and shared prosperity. In the same year, Afghanistan received observer status in the SCO, and Turkey became a dialogue partner.
• In 2014, India and Pakistan officially applied for membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
• In 2015, the leaders of the SCO countries approved a decision to begin the procedure for admitting India and Pakistan to membership in the organization; decisions were also signed to grant Belarus observer status in the SCO, and to grant dialogue partner status to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal. Iran and Afghanistan are also vying for full membership in the SCO.

What does the SCO look like? geopolitical map peace?

• The territory of the SCO, including observer countries, covers the space from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean and from the Arctic to Indian Ocean and occupies 61% of the Eurasian continent.
• According to World Bank, the world population reached 7.26 billion people in 2014. The population of the SCO member countries in 2014 totaled 1.57 billion people, and including observer countries - 3.17 billion people.
• The total gross domestic product (at current prices) of the SCO member states reached $12.5 trillion in 2014, i.e. 16.03% of the global figure (for comparison: in the USA - $17.42 trillion, in the EU - $18, 47 trillion).
• Global GDP at purchasing power parity was $108.7 trillion in 2014. The GDP of the SCO countries according to PPP for the same period is $22 trillion, i.e. 20.24% of the global total.

How is interaction carried out within the SCO?

• The highest body in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is the Council of Heads of State; Leaders' summits are held once a year. The SCO Council of Heads of Government annually considers issues related, in particular, to economic spheres interactions. The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Meeting of Heads of Ministries and Departments, and the Council of National Coordinators have been created within the organization.
• Two permanent SCO bodies are the Secretariat in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure in Tashkent.
• In 2006, the SCO Forum was formed - a public advisory and expert body created to promote and scientifically support the activities of the organization, conduct joint research on topical issues, clarification of the tasks and principles of the SCO.
• An important direction activities of the SCO is humanitarian cooperation. In 2007, Russia proposed the establishment of a university based on the network principle. The decision to form the SCO Network University (a system of interaction between universities in member countries of the organization) was made in 2008. The university began operating in 2010 and includes more than 80 universities from Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Specialists are trained in 7 areas of master's degree, including regional studies, ecology, energy, IT technologies, nanotechnology, pedagogy and ecology.
• In 2015, a presentation of the initiative to create an International Map took place in Moscow young man SCO member states (SCO Youth Card). The card should become a kind of social package for young people, helping to develop humanitarian cooperation and study the culture and history of the SCO countries.

How is economic interaction carried out within the SCO?

• The first meeting of the heads of government of the SCO member states took place in 2001. At this meeting, a Memorandum was signed on the main goals and directions of regional economic cooperation and the beginning of the process of creating favorable conditions in the field of trade and investment. The joint development of the oil and gas sector, transport infrastructure, and the creation of conditions for the free movement of goods, capital, services and technologies are recognized as priority areas of interaction.
• In 2003, in Beijing, following a meeting of the heads of government of the SCO countries, a long-term program of multilateral economic cooperation until 2020 was adopted, providing for the creation of a common economic space within the organization. In the short term, it is planned to increase the volume of trade turnover, and in the long term, the creation of a free trade zone. The main areas of cooperation in the document are energy, transport, agriculture, telecommunications, defense environment etc. The action plan for the implementation of the program was signed in 2004.
• One of priority tasks SCO - cooperation in financial sector. Lack of a mechanism for financing joint projects for a long time was the main obstacle to further development organizations. To solve this problem, a Development Bank and a Development Fund (special account) are being created within the SCO. China took the initiative to create the Development Bank of the member countries of the organization in 2010. The bank will be focused on financing interstate infrastructure projects and foreign trade transactions. The creation of the SCO Development Fund was proposed in 2013 by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2015, the SCO countries announced their intention to create International Center project financing based Interbank Association organizations.
• In 2013, the SCO Energy Club, created on the initiative of Russia, began its work. The memorandum on the creation of this organization, along with the Russian Federation and China, was signed by Afghanistan, Belarus, Mongolia, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Sri Lanka.
• In 2015, it was decided to begin developing a regional economic cooperation program for the next five years. Cooperation will be developed in 10 areas, within their framework about 100 projects are planned for total amount$100 billion. The main direction is the development of transport infrastructure.

How do SCO countries cooperate in the field of security?

• The SCO is not a military bloc, but the organization's countries consider issues related to security and the fight against terrorism. Since 2002, as part of security cooperation, SCO member countries have regularly conducted joint anti-terrorism exercises (both on a bilateral and multilateral basis). The largest of them are the Peace Mission exercises, which have been held since 2003 (the next one is planned for September 2016 in Kyrgyzstan).
• In 2004, a protocol on cooperation was signed between the foreign ministries of the SCO countries. The document emphasized that in order to develop common points of view of the SCO countries on the main international problems Consultation at various levels is necessary. Among the main issues were security in Central Asia, the formation of an effective system collective security in the Asia-Pacific region, the fight against international terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking in weapons and drugs.
• In 2006, the organization announced plans to fight the international drug mafia, and in 2008 - about participation in normalizing the situation in Afghanistan.
• In 2009, under the auspices of the SCO, the first large-scale international Conference on Afghanistan with the participation of representatives of the EU, CSTO, NATO and other organizations.
• On June 15, 2011, at the anniversary summit of the SCO, the heads of state of the organization approved the Anti-Drug Strategy of the SCO member states for 2011-2016 and the action program for its implementation, designed to help increase the effectiveness of joint efforts to counter the drug threat in the SCO space. At the same time, agreements were signed on conducting joint anti-terrorist measures on the territory of the SCO states, on cooperation in the field of identifying and blocking channels of penetration into the territory of the SCO countries by persons involved in terrorist, separatist and extremist activities.
• In 2012, the leaders of the SCO countries adopted a program of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2013-2015.
• In the Bishkek Declaration of the SCO, signed in 2013, the countries of the organization declared their intention to counteract “the use of information and communication technologies to undermine the political, economic and public security of member states, to counter terrorism, extremism and separatism, as well as to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking, illegal arms trafficking."

Last updated - 06/23/2016

On June 23, the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries gather in Tashkent for the 15th summit. The event will take place on June 23-24. All heads of the organization's countries confirmed their participation in it. About 1 thousand representatives of the SCO countries, international organizations and foreign media will also arrive in Tashkent to participate in the event.

The leaders intend to discuss what steps need to be taken to improve the organization’s activities, consider cooperation in the economy, security and counter-terrorism, and discuss current international issues.

11 documents have been prepared for signing for the summit. It is expected that the main document following the summit will be the Tashkent Declaration of the 15th anniversary of the SCO, which will reflect the approaches of the organization’s members to the prospects for its development, the SCO’s position on the current international and regional situation, decisions current problems security.

History of the emergence and structure of the SCO

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a regional international organization founded in 2001.

The prerequisites for the creation of the SCO were laid back in the 60s of the 20th century, when the USSR and China entered into negotiations to resolve territorial disputes. After the breakup Soviet Union new participants in the negotiations appeared in the person of Russia and the states of Central Asia. After the PRC resolved territorial disputes with neighboring CIS countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), the opportunity arose to further develop regional cooperation.

In 1996, the Shanghai Five was formed, which included Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. By the time of the summit in Bishkek, a new international organization began to take shape. There are national coordinators appointed by each country. As a result, on June 15, 2001, the first meeting of the SCO was held in Shanghai, at which Uzbekistan was admitted to the organization.

The official working languages ​​are Russian and Chinese. The headquarters of the SCO is located in Beijing. The symbols of the organization include a white flag with the SCO coat of arms in the center. The coat of arms depicts two laurel wreaths on the sides and a symbolic image in the center eastern hemisphere Lands with the outlines of the earth's landmass, which is occupied by the "six", below and above - the inscription in Chinese and Russian: "Shanghai Cooperation Organization".

It is noted that the total territory of the SCO countries is 61% of Eurasian space. Its total demographic potential is a quarter of the planet's population.

Organization structure:

• 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-Terrorist Structure (RATS);
• Secretariat - representative of Russia Dmitry Mezentsev(appointed June 7, 2012, holds position from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015).

SCO members

SCO member countries:

• Kazakhstan,
• Kyrgyzstan,
• Russia,
• Tajikistan,
• Uzbekistan.

Observer states:

• Afghanistan,
• India,
• Iran,
• Mongolia,
• Pakistan.

Dialogue partners:

• Belarus,
• Türkiye,
• Sri Lanka.

The SCO has partnership agreements with:

• CSTO,
• EurAsEC,
• ASEAN.

SCO goals

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, promoting 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 illicit trafficking in drugs and weapons, other types of transnational criminal activity, 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 when integrating into world economy;
• promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international obligations 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.

TASS DOSSIER. June 9-10, 2018 in Qingdao ( Chinese province Shandong) will host the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). For the first time, two new SCO member states will participate in the meeting of the leaders of the organization's countries: India and Pakistan.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional international association that includes eight countries: Russia, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Since 2004, the SCO has been an observer to the UN General Assembly.

History of education

On April 26, 1996, in Shanghai (PRC), the heads of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed an agreement to strengthen confidence in the military field in the border area. On its basis, a political association was formed, called the “Shanghai Five”, main goal which was to ensure stability along the borders of the former Soviet republics and China. On July 5, 2000, the organization was transformed into the Shanghai Forum. On June 14, 2001, at the summit in Shanghai, Uzbekistan joined the union of five countries.

On June 15, 2001, the heads of six states signed the Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. On June 7, 2002, the organization's charter document, the SCO Charter, was signed (came into force on September 19, 2003).

On June 9, 2017, at the summit in Astana, membership in the organization of India and Pakistan was officially approved.

Observers and dialogue partners

Observers in the organization are Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, and Belarus. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Syria and Sri Lanka also submitted applications for observer status.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka have the status of SCO dialogue partners.

Observer countries can, with the consent of SCO members, attend meetings of the alliance’s bodies and participate in the discussion of agenda items without the right to make decisions. The status of dialogue partner is granted to a state (or organization) interacting with the SCO in certain areas of cooperation provided for by the SCO Charter.

According to the Regulations on the Procedure for Admitting New Members, a country applying for membership in the SCO cannot be subject to sanctions by the UN Security Council.

Goals, objectives, areas of cooperation

According to the SCO Charter, the goals of the alliance are to ensure stability and security in the region, fight terrorism and extremism, develop economic cooperation, energy partnership, scientific and cultural interaction. Priority areas are the development of transport infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, oil and gas, agriculture, use of water resources, etc.

In relations within the organization, member states adhere to the principles of consensus, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, respect for cultural diversity, 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.

On September 23, 2003, in Beijing, following a meeting of the heads of government of the SCO countries, a long-term program of multilateral economic cooperation until 2020 was adopted, which provides for the creation of a common economic space within the organization. In the short term, it is planned to increase the volume of trade turnover, and in the long term, the creation of a free trade zone. An action plan for the implementation of the program was signed in September 2004.

Structure

Countries chair the SCO alternately for a period of one year, ending their mandate with a summit. Since June 2017, China has chaired the SCO.

The highest body of the SCO is the Council of Heads of State, which determines the priorities and main directions of the organization’s activities, resolves issues of its internal structure, interaction with other countries and international organizations, and considers current international problems. The Council meets for regular meetings once a year; The chairmanship is carried out by the head of state - the organizer of the summit.

The SCO Council of Heads of Government considers issues related to specific, especially economic, areas of cooperation. Regular meetings are held once a year. Also within the organization, a Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, a Meeting of Heads of Ministries and Departments, and a Council of National Coordinators have been created. The permanent working body is the secretariat with headquarters in Beijing.

Since January 1, 2016, the post of SCO Secretary General has been occupied by Rashid Alimov (elected on July 10, 2015 for a two-year term), the former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan and the republic’s permanent representative to the UN, ex-ambassador of Tajikistan to the PRC.

Decisions in the SCO bodies are made by consensus; this principle is enshrined in the organization’s Charter.

Security questions

When the organization was created, its main task was declared to be the fight against terrorism in Central Asia. One of the first documents of the organization - the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism (2001) - on international level established the definition of separatism and extremism as violent, criminally prosecuted acts.

On June 7, 2002, at the SCO summit in St. Petersburg, an agreement was signed on the creation of a Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS; the headquarters of the executive committee is in Tashkent). It coordinates the fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism, in particular, it creates a unified data bank on international terrorist and other organizations and individuals, as well as a unified search register, assists in the training of specialists and instructors for anti-terrorist units, and organizes activities to combat drug trafficking and etc.

As part of security cooperation, SCO member countries regularly conduct joint anti-terrorism exercises, the largest of which are the Peace Mission (held since 2003).

According to the SCO secretariat, in 2013-2017, more than 600 terrorist crimes were prevented within the organization, more than 500 terrorist training bases were liquidated, and the activities of more than 2 thousand members of international terrorist organizations, over 1 thousand improvised explosive devices, 50 tons were seized explosives, 10 thousand units firearms and over 1 million ammunition.

Cooperation in economics and finance

Economic interaction is coordinated Business advice(created in 2006; unites representatives of the business community) and the SCO Interbank Association (2005; organizes financing and banking services for investment projects). As of the end of 2017, the Interbank Association provided $97.8 billion for the development of projects in the SCO countries.

To finance interstate infrastructure projects and foreign trade operations within the SCO, it was decided to create a Development Bank and a Development Fund (Special Account) of the organization. In 2015, at the summit in Ufa, the intention was also announced to form an International Center for Project Finance on the basis of the existing Interbank Association. Currently, work on creating financial instruments in the SCO continues.

Since 2014, the Energy Club, created at the initiative of Russia, has been operating within the SCO. This is a discussion platform for discussing the energy strategies of the SCO states from the standpoint of their harmonization and developing proposals to improve energy security. The club brings together representatives of government agencies, large businesses and information and analytical centers working in the energy sector.

On September 16, 2015 in Xi'an (China), at the SCO ministerial meeting on economics and trade, it was decided to begin developing a regional economic cooperation program for the next five years. Cooperation will be developed in ten areas, including about one hundred projects totaling $100 billion. The main area of ​​interaction is the development of transport infrastructure.

Cooperation in the humanitarian sphere

On August 16, 2007, at a meeting of heads of government in Bishkek, Russia proposed the establishment of a university based on the network principle. The decision to establish the SCO University was made in 2008 at a meeting of the organization’s ministers of education. The university began its work in 2010 as a network of already existing universities in the SCO member states and observer countries. Personnel training is carried out in priority areas of cultural, scientific, educational and economic cooperation: regional studies, ecology, energy, IT technologies, nanotechnologies.

In 2015, the International Young Person Card (SCO Youth Card; SCO Youth Card) was developed, which is both a means of payment and an identity card. In particular, it allows students of universities that are members of the SCO University to enjoy discounts in the countries of the organization. The project was launched in May 2017 in Belgorod as part of the II Youth Forum of SCO Universities.

Youth movements of the organization's countries have been cooperating within the framework of the SCO Youth Council (since 2009). In May 2018, the organization’s first Women’s Forum was held in Beijing, the purpose of which was declared to be “the development of exchanges and cooperation among women within the SCO.”

The organization also operates the SCO Forum (2006) - a public advisory and expert body created to promote and scientifically support the activities of the organization, conduct joint research on topical issues, explain the tasks and principles of the SCO, etc.

Statistics

The territory of the SCO (including observer countries) is 37.53 million square meters. km, or 61% of the Eurasian continent. The population, according to the World Bank for 2016, is 3.1 billion people (including India and Pakistan), including observer countries - 3.2 billion (data for 2017 have not been published).

The total gross domestic product (at current prices) of the SCO member states reached $15.24 trillion in 2016 (including India and Pakistan), or 20.09% of the global figure (for comparison: in the USA - $18.62 trillion, in EU - $16.49 trillion).

In an interview with the Chinese Media Corporation on May 31, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the SCO countries account for a quarter of the world's GDP, 43% of the population and 23% of the planet's territory.

SCO budget

The organization's budget is formed for a period of one calendar year in US dollars. It consists of annual shared contributions from the SCO member states. According to the Agreement on the procedure for the formation and execution of the budget dated December 1, 2017, the contribution of India is 5.9%, Kazakhstan - 17.6%, China - 20.6%, Kyrgyzstan - 8.8%, Pakistan - 5.9%, Russia - 20.6%, Tajikistan - 6%, Uzbekistan - 14.6%. The size of shared contributions can be changed at the proposal of one or more states with the consent of other SCO members.

Official languages ​​and website

Official working languages ​​are Russian and Chinese. Official site -

(SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization founded by the leaders of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In June 2016, there were plans for India and Pakistan to join the organization.

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, which entered 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.

An important step in strengthening the legal framework of the association was the signing in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) in August 2007 of the Agreement on Long-Term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation.

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.

The highest decision-making body in the SCO is the Council of Heads of Member States (CHS). He determines priorities and develops the main directions of the Organization’s activities, decides fundamental issues 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.

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.

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.

Within the SCO, there is a mechanism for meetings at the level of heads of line ministries and departments.

The most important economic structures are