Sco-shanghai Cooperation Organisation
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. The SCO currently consists of nine countries (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan Uzbekistan, and Iran ), three observers want to join, in acceding to full membership (Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia) and six "dialogue partners" (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey). In 2021, a decision was made to start the process of joining Iran to the SCO as a full member. Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia became negotiating (dialogue) partners.
Since its inception in 2001, the SCO has focused on regional security, its fight against regional terrorism, ethnic and religious divisions. To date, SCO priorities have also included regional development.
The SCO has been an observer of the United Nations since 2005. In April 2010, the UN and SCO secretaries signed a joint declaration on cooperation. The SCO Secretariat has also established cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in addition to its cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Office against Terrorism (UNOCT).
The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), as well as the UNRCCA (United Nations Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia) are in regular contact with SCO officials. Cooperation activities focus on security development in the region and key issues related to the fight against terrorism and the prevention of violence. Since 2017, DPPA has sent a liaison officer to the SCO in Beijing.
What is the Structure of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?
SCO HEADS OF STATE COUNCIL
The Council of heads is the highest decision making body of the SCO. It will determine the priorities and define the main areas of work of the organization, decide on the main issues of its organization and work on its relations with other states and international organizations, and discuss issues most importantly of world’s concern.
SCO HEADS OF GOVERNMENT
The heads of government (Prime Ministers) will approve the budget of the Organization, consider and decide on key issues related to particular, especially economic, aspects of relations within the Organization.
SCO FOREIGN MINISTERS COUNCIL
The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs will discuss issues related to day today's work of the Organization, the preparation of the meeting of the Council of Heads of State and to discuss international problems within the Organization. The Council may, as appropriate, make statements on behalf of SCO.
RATS
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) Executive Committee is a permanent body of the SCO RATS ( Permanent body ) based in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
The regional counterterrorism structure works as the SCO Charter, the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, the Agreement between SCO Member States and the Regional Counterterrorism Structure, as well as documents and resolutions adopted within the SCO framework.
SUMMITS:
According to the SCO Charter, annual meetings of the Council of Heads of State are held alternatively. The locations of these meetings follow the alphabetical order of the member countries' names in Russian. The charter also states that the Council of Heads of Government (i.e. the prime minister) will meet every year at a place decided by the members of the council. The Council of Foreign Ministers should meet one month before the annual meeting of the heads of state. Any two member countries may convene special meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers.
Delhi hosts SCO-RATS meeting May 17,2022; Focus on the situation in Afghanistan.
India has shown great interest in increasing its security cooperation with the SCO and the regional counter-terrorism framework, which addresses security and safety issues. India, Pakistan and other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Monday discussed enhancing cooperation in tackling various regional security challenges at a meeting hosted by New Delhi.
The three-day meeting takes place within the framework of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS). One of the main focuses of the discussion is the situation in Afghanistan, especially the threat from terrorist groups operating in the Taliban-controlled country, sources said. Pakistan, sources said, sent a three-member team - an official from the ministries of interior, defense and foreign affairs - for the meeting.
India took over the ‘chairmanship’ of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure Council (RATS SCO) on October 28 2021 for one year. India has shown keen interest in deepening its security cooperation with the SCO and its regional counter-terrorism structure, which specifically deals with security and defense issues. A similar conference was organized by India in December, in which all Member States participated.
The SCO is an economic and security grouping and has established itself as one of the largest trans-regional international organizations.