Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization brief analysis. Rashid Alimov: The SCO Charter is its soul and compass. Main stages of development of the SCO

Republic of Kazakhstan, People's Republic of China, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, 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 the summit meetings of the heads of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Chinese People's Republic, Kyrgyz Republic, 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 international peace, security and 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;

have agreed on the following:

Article 1. 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, turnover, law enforcement, environmental, cultural, scientific, technical, educational, energy, transport, credit, 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 costs during integration into 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;

cooperation in prevention international conflicts and their peaceful settlement;

joint search for solutions to problems that will arise in the 21st century.

Article 2. Principles

The SCO member states adhere to the following principles: mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity 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.

Article 3. 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 V 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 existing infrastructure in the field of transport and communications, improving the transit potential of member states, developing 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 emergency situations natural and technogenic nature and elimination of 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.

SCO member states can, by mutual agreement, expand areas of cooperation.

Article 4. Bodies

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.

The Council of Heads of State is supreme body 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.

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 preliminary 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 problems. 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 member state 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.

Article 8. 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.

The Council of National Coordinators is the SCO body that coordinates and manages the current activities of the Organization. He spends necessary preparation 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.

Article 10. Regional anti-terrorist structure

The regional anti-terrorist structure of the states parties to the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism on June 15, 2001, headquartered 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.

Article 11. Secretariat

The Secretariat is the main permanent executive body of the SCO and carries out coordination, information, analytical, legal and organizational technical support activities of the Organization, develops proposals for the development of cooperation within the SCO and international relations Organizations, monitors the implementation of decisions of SCO bodies.

(amended 06/15/2006)

The Secretariat is headed Secretary General, which is approved by the Council of Heads of State on the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

(amended 06/15/2006)

The Secretary General 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.

(amended 06/15/2006)

Deputy Secretaries General 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.

(amended 06/15/2006)

Officials of the Secretariat are recruited from among citizens of Member States on a quota basis.

In the performance of official duties, the Secretary General, 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.

(amended 06/15/2006)

Member States undertake to respect the international nature of the duties of the Secretary General, his deputies and the staff of the Secretariat and not to influence them in the performance or official duties.

(amended 06/15/2006)

The location of the SCO Secretariat is Beijing (People's Republic of China).

Article 12. 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 the basis of the principle of shared participation.

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.

Article 13. 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.

Article 14. 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 provide the interested state or international organization status of dialogue partner or observer. The procedure and procedures for granting such status are established by a special agreement between member states.

This Charter does not affect the rights and obligations of member states under other international treaties to which they are parties.

Article 15. 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 legal entity and may, in particular:

Conclude contracts

Acquire and dispose of movable and immovable property;

Appear in courts as a plaintiff or defendant,

Open accounts and make transactions with funds.

Article 16. 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 on the basis of the “consensus” principle minus one vote of the Member State concerned."

Any member state can express its point of view on certain aspects and/or specific issues of decisions taken, which is 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 the specified Member States does not prevent the implementation of such cooperation projects by the interested Member States and at the same time does not prevent the specified Member States to join in the implementation of such projects in the future.

Article 17. 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 member states to implement this Charter, other treaties in force within the SCO and decisions of its bodies is carried out by SCO bodies within the limits of their competence.

Article 18. 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 member states in Beijing.

Article 19. Privileges and immunities

The SCO and its officials enjoy privileges and immunities on 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.

Article 20. Languages

The official and working languages of the SCO are Russian and Chinese.

Article 21. 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.

Article 22. 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.

Article 23. Amendments 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.

Article 24. Reservations

Clauses cannot be made to this Charter that contradict the principles, goals and objectives of the Organization, and may also interfere with the performance of any SCO body of its functions. In the event that at least 2/3 of the Member States have objections, the reservations must be considered as contrary to the principles, purposes and purposes of the Organization or as preventing any body from performing its functions and having no legal force.

Article 25. Depository

The depositary of this Charter is the People's Republic of China.

Article 26. 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, and both texts have equal authority.

An original copy of this Charter shall be deposited with the depositary, which shall forward certified copies to all signatory States.

For the Republic of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev

For the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin

For the Kyrgyz Republic A. Akaev

For the Russian Federation V. Putin

For the Republic of Tajikistan E. Rakhmonov

For the Republic of Uzbekistan I. Karimov

KR dated July 15, 2003 No. 133 St. Petersburg dated June 7, 2002 CHARTER of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization 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 (referred to as hereinafter referred to as the SCO or the Organization), based on the historical ties of their peoples; Goals and objectives The main goals and objectives of the SCO are: strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good neighborliness between member states; Article 3. Areas of cooperation The main areas of cooperation within the SCO are: maintaining peace and strengthening security and trust in the region; 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. Article 8. 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), the heads of line ministries and/or departments of the Member States hold meetings on a regular basis to consider specific issues of developing interaction in relevant areas within the SCO. Article 11. 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 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. This point of view is recorded in the minutes of the meeting. 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.

With this definition he prefaced his interview with a TASS correspondent. general secretary SCO Rashid Alimov, who spoke about the significance of the SCO Charter in connection with the upcoming 15th anniversary of this fundamental document adopted at the summit in St. Petersburg on June 7, 2002 this year. On this occasion, a symposium was held in Beijing, where the headquarters of the SCO is located, dedicated to the history, modern realities and prospects for the development of the organization.

– Rashid Kutbiddinovich, what did the adoption of the Charter mean at that time, what was its meaning?

– The SCO Charter was of decisive importance for the establishment of a model of cooperation that confirms its effectiveness year after year. In this anniversary year, it is especially useful to take another close look at this historical document, primarily from the point of view of its contribution to practice international relations and the role it plays in the fate of the organization, and the influence that the SCO has on maintaining peace and stability in the region and on the planet. Today, no one has any doubts that the SCO Charter, having defined the goals and key areas of cooperation, has laid down a strong legal basis functioning of the organization, presented the world with a striking example of a new interpretation of the generally accepted principles of interstate interaction.

– What are they based on? similar judgments?

– First of all, the SCO is one of the few multidisciplinary international associations initially and entirely built in the format of a multilateral partnership. This is the dignity of the organization and its attractiveness. The Charter is almost the first public legal document in international practice that establishes the model of universal partnership as a fundamental characteristic of an international association.

This innovation makes it possible to call the SCO an international organization of a new type. If we remember the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries, then there were ready-made “patterns”, especially exemplary ones model range regional partnership did not exist. Even the term itself has not yet become widespread in the international lexicon. Without exaggeration, it can be said that a large, painstaking and creative work on the formation of the SCO, including the preparation of the Charter, was largely of a pioneering nature.

– How is the “SCO type” partnership different?

The closer the coordination, the deeper the mutual understanding; The more equality is maintained, the stronger and more effective the partnership becomes

– Partnership is, rather, an active cooperative interaction based on the joint determination of areas of coincidence of interests, the equivalence of the opinions of all together and each individually, regardless of the political and economic weight categories of the actors, while fully preserving and respecting the independence of the subjects of the partnership in their internal affairs and foreign policy. Not lining up in one line, but mutual understanding; Not dominance, but equality and coordination can be called the key elements of partnership. The closer the coordination, the deeper the mutual understanding; The more equality is maintained, the stronger and more effective the partnership becomes.

– Why don’t we call partnership within the SCO an alliance?

– It must be borne in mind that partnership is different from traditional alliance. Military-political alliances are very high degree political interdependence, as well as a certain isolation due to the fact that usually an alliance implies a kind of mobilization readiness to oppose someone. It's not a classic either economic integration, pursuing the goals of maximum unification, which requires the delegation of a significant part of sovereign prerogatives to supranational bureaucratic institutions.

In this regard, it is appropriate to recall that at the time the SCO Charter was adopted, the world was experiencing serious cataclysms in international environment and the Charter became a kind of collective response to the ongoing events of the founding states, which declared mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of state borders as the basic principles of the new association; non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of force in international relations; rejection of unilateral military superiority; equality, mutual understanding and respect for opinions; peaceful resolution of differences between member states; non-direction against other states and international organizations; prevention of any illegal actions directed against the interests of the SCO; conscientious execution obligations arising from the Charter and other documents adopted within the organization.

– What is characteristic of the SCO model in this case?

All decisions taken within the SCO are the result of the crystallization and unification of the views, opinions and approaches of the founding states

– An integral feature of the SCO partnership model is its transparency and non-direction against anyone. The SCO adheres to a line that excludes bloc, ideological and confrontational approaches to solving current international and regional problems. The organization strictly follows the principles enshrined in the SCO Charter, including the non-direction of the SCO against other states and international organizations; actively develops contacts and cooperation with international and regional organizations, primarily with the UN and its specialized agencies. Another progressive postulate of the Charter, which does not lose its relevance to this day, is the consensus model of decision-making.

It emphasizes the exclusive equality of all participants in the association, regardless of potential and capabilities. All decisions made within the SCO are the result of the crystallization and unification of the views, opinions and approaches of the founding states. Thus, the SCO can rightfully be considered a clear example of a consensus-type partnership association.

– Does everyone understand and acknowledge this?

– It should be noted that in various expert circles there are those who are inclined to challenge the effectiveness of such a model, often emphasizing its inability to ensure the proper level of efficiency of the organization’s activities. In addition, there are opinions that the consensus principle can also lead to blocking by the “minority” of decisions agreed upon by the majority of participants, a kind of veto. I believe that this is a special topic, including for scientific discussions and research. However, if you delve a little deeper into the analysis of this topic, you can see that in contrast to the veto, which is based on the insurmountability of a negative vote, the consensus rule places emphasis on the joint search for a complex, generally acceptable positive solution, which is the total result of the maximum possible combination of sovereign rights, own interests and common goals.

If such a combination does not develop quickly, then this does not mean a “stop signal”, the cessation of further efforts in the chosen direction to finally find a common denominator. In other words, the effectiveness of a consensus rule should be considered not from the point of view of the process, but from the end result. It serves as an incentive for constant co-creation, because it has a significant potential for flexibility, which follows from the relevant articles of the Charter and is expressed in the practice of its implementation at all levels of the SCO mechanisms.

– To what extent is the “Shanghai spirit”, which underlies the organization’s activities, embodied in the Charter?

– Considering from different sides the system of decision-making within the SCO, it is also important to keep in mind such a key concept as the “Shanghai spirit” enshrined in the Charter, the main content of which is mutual trust and benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and civilizations, desire for joint development. This unique principle is rightfully considered core in the development of cooperation between the six states as a new model of regional interaction. Today there is no doubt that, being the main integral concept and the most important principle activities of the SCO, the “Shanghai spirit” has enriched the theory and practice of modern international cooperation, realizing the universal desire of the world community for the democratization of international relations.

– Doesn’t the “consensus” model of decision-making in the SCO mean that someone will try to “pull the blanket over themselves”, pushing through the necessary decisions?

– Practice shows that the model operating within the SCO works in such a way that, no matter how acute the issue, each side strives to find a path to mutual agreement, which is clearly expressed in the ability to listen, hear and listen to each other. In my opinion, this system of relationships was most succinctly characterized by the ancient Chinese thinker Confucius, who said: “Noble men are friends when they disagree, and insignificant people quarrel when they are of the same mind.” This is the uniqueness of the organization, in which the interests of each party can and do coincide with the interests of all.

In my opinion, this system of relationships was most succinctly characterized by the ancient Chinese thinker Confucius, who said: “Noble men are friends when they disagree, and insignificant people quarrel when they are of the same mind.”

Today, the SCO is an example of the possibilities not only for the coexistence of states of different sizes, weights and differently structured states belonging to different cultural and national traditions. It creates favorable conditions for combining goals and values, productively establishing and developing intercivilizational dialogue, and establishing a culture of communication focused on obtaining a joint and mutually beneficial result. Another important feature of the Charter was that it laid down the universal nature of the future organization, or, in other words, the principle of multi-format interaction. Thus, the Charter, in fact, identified four driving forces of the SCO: cooperation in the field of politics and security, in the economic sphere, in the field of cultural and humanitarian interaction, and most importantly - the constant desire of all founding countries for joint development as a summary indicator of the other three components and the main synergetic guideline for their complex implementation.

– At the very beginning, the SCO was built as an organization strengthening regional security. Is this original motive now receding into the background? Can we say that the task of ensuring security in the region has already been completed?

– It’s no secret that sustainable development it is impossible without ensuring the proper level of security. The changing nature of modern challenges and threats continues to require close attention. The SCO was created in the name of the development and prosperity of the peoples living in the organization’s space, and that is why the Charter identified among the key priorities of the association’s activities the joint counteraction to terrorism, separatism and extremism in all their manifestations, the uncompromising fight against drug trafficking and weapons, and other types of transnational crime. activities, as well as illegal migration.

The changing nature of modern challenges and threats continues to require close attention

As a key area of work of the SCO, cooperation between member states in the field of ensuring regional security and stability has made it possible to achieve significant results. Today, the organization’s space is characterized by a stable environment, which is ensured by the joint work of member states to counteract modern challenges and security threats. It was for these purposes that the Charter institutionalized the most important permanent body of the SCO - the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which became the main platform for interaction between the competent authorities of the member states.

For example, only in 2011–2015. the competent authorities of the SCO member states, with the coordinating role of the SCO RATS, prevented 20 terrorist attacks at the preparation stage; about 650 crimes of a terrorist and extremist nature were suppressed; 440 terrorist training bases and about 1,700 members of international terrorist organizations were liquidated; More than 2,700 members of illegal armed groups, their accomplices and persons suspected of criminal activities were detained; 213 persons involved in terrorist and terrorist activities were extradited extremist organizations, many of whom were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment; 180 persons are wanted; 600 caches and caches of weapons were identified, more than 3,250 improvised explosive devices, about 10 thousand weapons, about 450 thousand pieces of ammunition and more than 52 tons of explosives were seized. Purposeful work is being carried out on an ongoing basis to counter the use of the Internet for terrorist, separatist and extremist purposes.

– But business interaction between the SCO countries within the organization also has important?

– The trade and economic sphere is also defined by the SCO Charter as one of driving forces organizations. The joint development of infrastructure, communications, and the implementation of multilateral projects in order to increase the well-being and improve the quality of life of people are a fundamental task in the interaction of member states within the SCO. To consider practical issues of an economic nature, the Charter established the creation of regular meetings of heads of line ministries and/or departments of member states. Through joint efforts, the SCO member states are implementing infrastructure projects: building automobile and railways, bridges and transport crossings. Over the past 15 years, the number of regular flights between SCO member states has increased significantly. For example, weekly air traffic from Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Uzbekistan to China alone has increased more than fourfold, from Tajikistan – eightfold, and from Kazakhstan – twelvefold. The mutual accumulated investments of the SCO member states are growing, which by 2016 exceeded $40 billion.

Mutual accumulated investments of the SCO member states are growing, which by 2016 exceeded $40 billion

Of particular importance for the development of economic interaction is the Agreement of the SCO member states on creating favorable conditions for international road transport, which formalized the legal basis for parity conditions for road carriers and laid a uniform basis for the implementation of international road transport from of Eastern Europe before east coasts Russia and China. The practical implementation of the Agreement will undoubtedly give new impetus to the construction of new and reconstruction of existing sections of highways as part of international transport routes, and the development of trade.

– What can be said about the humanitarian interaction of the SCO countries, what role does it play and is it being lost? humanitarian cooperation in the shadow of other priority tasks?

– The key basis for strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good neighborliness between the SCO member states is humanitarian interaction. The sustainable dialogue between different cultures and civilizations established within the SCO contributes to their mutual knowledge, enrichment and, ultimately, greater mutual understanding among the peoples of the SCO member states. This is the main civilizational mission of the organization, it is successfully implemented thanks to an integrated approach, reflected in its founding document. The SCO Charter, initially aimed at building a democratic, fair architecture of international relations, created a world precedent within the framework of a largely unique intercivilizational organization that eliminates the possibility of a conflict of civilizations in the region of its responsibility.

– Can we say that the SCO serves as an example for other states and regions in building relations between countries and peoples?

– The SCO is designed to help sovereign participants combine positions and approaches regarding current international problems and regional challenges, and concentrate efforts on common goals in accordance with the principles of voluntary cooperation and equal cooperation. This feature of the SCO, along with clearly expressed democratic principles of functioning, makes it the object of growing close interest in international community. Evidence of this is the growing number of people wishing to join the organization’s activities.

– What can you say about the near future of the SCO?

– The SCO consistently implements the principle of openness enshrined in the Charter. Today, the organization is on the verge of admitting new powerful and authoritative states in the international community - India and Pakistan, whose entry will significantly strengthen the SCO and expand its potential and capabilities. The organization will become a powerful trans-regional structure, uniting more than 44% of the Earth's population in the space from the Arctic to Indian Ocean from north to south and from Lianyungang to Kaliningrad from east to west.

Today, the organization is on the verge of admitting new powerful and authoritative states in the international community - India and Pakistan, whose accession will significantly strengthen the SCO and expand its potential and capabilities.

It becomes obvious that this new phenomenon in the life of the organization will require serious reconfiguration and adaptation of internal activities. Such work is already being carried out together with potential full members of the organization. The first steps are encouraging and indicate that India and Pakistan, given their weight in regional and world affairs, will make a significant contribution to strengthening the organization and the effectiveness of its activities. At the same time, in accordance with the principle of non-direction of the organization against other states and international associations enshrined in the SCO Charter, the SCO continues to actively develop contacts and the international cooperation, bringing creativity into world affairs.

– And all this is connected with the SCO Charter?

– Summing up summary Understanding some of the most important conceptual elements of the SCO Charter, I would like to call for continued in-depth analysis of this legal phenomenon - a document that has, in fact, become a new word in international practice. I am convinced that an inquisitive mind, delving into details, will always find new ones. interesting features and opportunities, will see new perspectives. I would like to emphasize once again, in my opinion, main feature a model of a new type of international organization, which crystallized thanks to the fundamental provisions of the SCO Charter and the joint efforts of the member states of the organization to implement them.

Its essence is that in the SCO there is not and cannot be anyone’s dominance, elements of pressure or coercion, there are no winners or losers, there is only a common, solidary result. The organization has built one of the world's largest systems of regional cooperation with an emphasis on guaranteeing political stability, strengthening security, expanding economic interaction, joint development and prosperity of the SCO peoples. I am convinced that these very foundations will in the future become reliable bonds of friendship and cooperation among the entire progressive part of the international community.

Interviewed Andrey Kirillov, Beijing

(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). 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 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

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. General area The SCO member states make up 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 she went 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". Collaboration 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 implement the provisions of the agreements reached. Gradually, the range of issues expanded to the areas of foreign policy, economics, security environment, including the use of water resources, crops, 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 pinned on for the first time international level 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 state - members of the SCO. 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 formation mechanism general 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-Terrorism Structure (RATS) was created, which received the status of a permanent SCO body in 2002. Its functions include coordination of actions law enforcement 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 summits SCO 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 SCO members. 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 one formed in 1997 regional organization GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova) and early entry into the SCO in 2001 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 of 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 wrong to regard it as military organization. This status is unacceptable due to the participation of SCO member countries in international unions and organizations with different responsibilities. 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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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.

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.

Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers)

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 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.

Meetings of heads of ministries and/or departments

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.

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.

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

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

Any member state has the right to withdraw from the SCO by sending the depositary an official notification 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 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

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:

System history 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