Level 7 of 10: Regional blocs and supranational bodies

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian intergovernmental organisation of ten member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was established in Shanghai on 15 June 2001, its Charter was signed in St Petersburg on 7 June 2002, and India and Pakistan became full members in 2017. The SCO says it is built on the Shanghai Spirit of mutual respect, non-interference and non-use of force, and that it does not have the attributes of a defence alliance. Its Council of Heads of State is the highest decision-making body and meets yearly; its permanent bodies are the Secretariat in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent. Russian and Chinese are the official languages. Pakistan holds the 2026 to 2027 chairmanship after the Bishkek summit of 1 September 2026.

Who leads it

• Secretary-General: Nurlan Yermekbayev (eng.sectsco.org)
• Director, Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure: Ularbek Sharsheev (eng.sectsco.org)
• Chair of the SCO (2026-2027): Pakistan (eng.sectsco.org)

The UK and the SCO

The UK is not an SCO member state, observer or dialogue partner, according to the SCO's lists of member states (10), observers (Afghanistan, Mongolia) and dialogue partners. The SCO lists Russian and Chinese as its official working languages.

Key figures

What it decides

• The Council of Heads of State is the highest decision-making body; it meets once a year to take decisions and give instructions.
• The Council of Heads of Government meets yearly, discusses cooperation strategy and adopts the annual budget.
• The Council of Heads of State appoints the Secretary-General for a three-year term and decides on accession, such as full membership for India and Pakistan in 2017 and Iran in 2023.
• The summit approved the Bishkek Declaration and a Protocol on Amendments and Additions to the Charter (September 2026).
• It approves provisions for bodies on security, such as the Universal Centre for Countering Challenges and Threats and the Executive Committee of the SCO Anti-Drug Centre.
• The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure coordinates counter-terrorism work from Tashkent.
• SCO observers monitor elections in member states, for example in Kazakhstan and the Russian State Duma elections.

Timeline

• 1996: Military confidence-building and border force-reduction agreements are signed by five countries. (eng.sectsco.org)
• 2001-06-15: The SCO is established in Shanghai. (eng.sectsco.org)
• 2002-06-07: The SCO Charter is signed in St Petersburg. (eng.sectsco.org)
• 2004-01-15: The Secretariat begins operating in Beijing. (eng.sectsco.org)
• 2017: India and Pakistan become full members. (eng.sectsco.org)
• 2024: Belarus joins as a member state. (eng.sectsco.org)
• 2026-09-01: The 26th Council of Heads of State meets in Bishkek and approves 28 documents. (eng.sectsco.org)

How it is held to account

• The Council of Heads of Government adopts the annual SCO budget (SCO FAQ).
• The Secretary-General serves a three-year term set by the Council of Heads of State and briefs member states' permanent representatives, for example on 16 June and 11 September 2026.
• The Charter was registered with the United Nations on 1 February 2013 (SCO About page).
• The SCO publishes summit documents and decisions on its website.
• The SCO's pages reviewed do not describe an independent audit, ombudsman or access-to-documents regime.

Records you can check

• About the SCO
  Members, observers, dialogue partners, history and structure
• SCO frequently asked questions
  Decision-making bodies, Secretary-General and languages
• 26th Council of Heads of State, Bishkek
  Attendees, documents and decisions of the 2026 summit
• Secretary-General briefing on Bishkek summit
  Outcomes and Pakistan's incoming chairmanship
• Political and diplomatic cooperation news
  Ministerial meetings, security operations and election observation
• Secretary-General briefing, June 2026
  Ministerial meetings and engagement reported to permanent representatives

Common questions

What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

The SCO is a Eurasian intergovernmental organisation founded in Shanghai on 15 June 2001. It has ten member states, two observers and a number of dialogue partners. It says its goals include mutual trust, regional peace and stability, countering new threats and economic, social and cultural cooperation.

Which countries are SCO members?

The SCO lists ten member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024. Afghanistan and Mongolia are observers.

Is the SCO a military alliance?

The SCO's About page states that it does not have the attributes of a defence alliance, and describes principles including non-aggression, non-interference and non-use of force. It does have security structures, including the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent and an anti-drug centre.

Who leads the SCO?

Nurlan Yermekbayev is Secretary-General, according to the SCO's 2026 pages. The Council of Heads of State appoints the Secretary-General for three years. Chairmanship rotates among members: Kyrgyzstan chaired in 2025 to 2026, and Pakistan takes over for 2026 to 2027.

How does the SCO make decisions?

The SCO says the Council of Heads of State, which meets once a year, is its highest decision-making body, and the Council of Heads of Government adopts the annual budget. The pages reviewed do not describe a general voting rule, so how consensus operates should be checked in the Charter.

Is the UK part of the SCO?

No. The UK does not appear on the SCO's lists of its ten member states, its observers (Afghanistan and Mongolia) or its dialogue partners. The SCO's official working languages are Russian and Chinese, and its Secretariat is in Beijing.

What happened at the SCO Bishkek summit?

The 26th Council of Heads of State met in Bishkek on 1 September 2026, chaired by Kyrgyzstan's President. The SCO says 28 documents were approved, including the Bishkek Declaration and a Protocol on Amendments to the Charter, and that Pakistan takes the chairmanship for 2026 to 2027.

Other bodies at level 7

• African Union
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights
• European Central Bank
• European Court of Human Rights
• European Union (incl. Parliament, Commission, Council)
• Gulf Cooperation Council
• Mercosur

Sources

• About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, read 23 October 2026
• SCO Frequently Asked Questions, read 23 October 2026
• 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State, Bishkek, read 23 October 2026
• Briefing by the SCO Secretary-General on the Bishkek Summit, read 23 October 2026
• Political and diplomatic cooperation, read 23 October 2026
• Secretary-General briefs Permanent Representatives, June 2026, read 23 October 2026