With the Shanghai Cooperation Organization a. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO): history and goals of creation. Problems and Prospects of the SCO

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

In June 2002, at the St. Petersburg summit of the SCO heads of state, the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed, which entered into force on September 19, 2003. This is the basic statutory document that fixes the goals and principles of the Organization, its structure and main activities.

An important step in strengthening the legal base of the association was the signing in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) in August 2007 of the Treaty on long-term good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.

In 2006, the organization announced plans to combat the international drug mafia as a financial backbone of terrorism in the world, and in 2008, it actively participated in the normalization of the situation in Afghanistan.

In parallel, the activities of the SCO received a broad economic focus. In September 2003, the heads of government of the SCO member states signed a 20-year program of multilateral trade and economic cooperation. As a long-term goal, it is envisaged 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 the priorities and develops the main directions of the Organization's activities, resolves the 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 shall be carried out by the head of state — the organizer of the next meeting. The venue for the next meeting of the Council is determined, as a rule, in the Russian alphabetical order of the names of the SCO member states.

The Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) adopts the budget of the Organization, considers and decides on the main issues related to specific, especially economic, areas of development of interaction within the framework of the Organization.

The Council meets for regular meetings once a year. The meeting of the Council is chaired by the head of government (Prime Minister) of the state in whose territory the meeting is held. The venue 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 the current activities of the Organization, the preparation of a meeting of the Council of Heads of State and the holding of consultations within the framework of the Organization on International Problems. The Council may, if necessary, make statements on behalf of the SCO. The Council meets, as a rule, one month before the meeting of the Council of Heads of State.

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

The most important economic structures -

The main goals of the SCO include: strengthening mutual trust and good neighborliness between the member countries; promotion of their effective cooperation in the political, trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural fields, as well as in the field of education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection and others; joint provision and maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region; moving towards the creation of a democratic, just and rational new international political and economic order.

The SCO observer states are India, Mongolia, Pakistan and Iran.

At the SCO summit in Dushanbe on August 28, 2008, the Regulations on the Status of the SCO Dialogue Partner were approved. Partner status is granted to a state or organization that shares the goals and principles of the SCO and wishes to establish relations of equal and mutually beneficial partnership with the Organization; or cooperating with the SCO in certain areas of activity.

Belarus and Sri Lanka currently have Dialogue Partner status.

The total area of the SCO member states is about 30.189 million square kilometers, which is 3/5 of the area of Eurasia, and the population is 1.5 billion people, which is 1/4 of the entire population of the globe.

The history of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization dates back to 1996. On April 26, 1996, the heads of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan met in Shanghai in order to develop a common position on the entire spectrum of problems of regional cooperation, as well as confidence-building measures in the military field. As a result of the forum, an "Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the Military Sphere in the Joint Border Area" was signed.

In 1996-2000, the leaders of these countries (the "Shanghai Five") met in turn in Shanghai, Moscow, Alma-Ata, Bishkek and Dushanbe. The Dushanbe meeting in 2000 marked the end of the first round of meetings of the heads of state of the "Shanghai Five".

On the basis of agreements on confidence-building in the military field and on the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area, concluded between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and Tajikistan, respectively, in 1996 and 1997, the SCO was formed.

At the meeting of the heads of five states on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, the leaders of the "Shanghai Five" accepted Uzbekistan into their ranks. On the same day, a declaration was signed on the creation Shanghai Organization cooperation (SCO).

At the summit in St. Petersburg on June 7, 2002, the SCO Charter was adopted (entered into force on September 19, 2003) - the basic statutory document that fixes the goals, principles, structure and main directions of the Organization's activities.

At the next SCO summit, held from 28 to 29 May 2003 in Moscow, documenting organizations: the Declaration of the Heads of State of the SCO Member States was signed, approving a set of documents regulating the procedure for the work of the SCO statutory bodies and its financial mechanism.

An important step in strengthening the legal base of the association was the signing in Bishkek on August 16, 2007 of the Treaty on long-term good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.

The highest decision-making body in the SCO is the Council of Heads of Member States (CHS). It meets once a year and makes decisions and instructions on all important issues organizations.

The Council of Heads of Government of the SCO Member States (CGP) meets once a year to discuss the strategy of multilateral cooperation and priority areas within the framework of the organization, solving fundamental and topical issues of economic and other cooperation, and also approves the annual budget of the organization.

In addition to the meetings of the CHS and CHP, there is also a mechanism of meetings at the level of heads of parliaments, secretaries of security councils, ministers of foreign affairs, defense, emergencies, economy, transport, culture, education, healthcare, heads of law enforcement agencies, supreme and arbitration courts, prosecutors general. The Council of National Coordinators of the SCO Member States (CNC) serves as the coordination mechanism within the SCO. The organization has two permanent bodies - the Secretariat in Beijing under the leadership of the Secretary General and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent, headed by the Director.

The Secretary General and the Director of the Executive Committee are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years. Since January 1, 2010, these posts have been respectively occupied by Muratbek Imanaliev (Kyrgyzstan) and Dzhenisbek Dzhumanbekov (Kazakhstan).

The symbolism of the SCO includes a white flag with the emblem of the organization in the center. The emblem depicts two laurel wreaths on the sides, in the center is a symbolic image of the Eastern Hemisphere of the earth with the outlines of the earth's land, which is occupied by the "six", above and below - the inscription in Chinese and Russian: "Shanghai Cooperation Organization".

The official working languages are Russian and Chinese. The headquarters is located in Beijing (China).

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The Council meets for regular meetings once a year. The meeting of the Council is chaired by the head of government (Prime Minister) of the state in whose territory the meeting is held.

The venue of the next meeting of the Council is determined by prior agreement of the heads of government (prime ministers) of the Member States.

Chronology of meetings and documents adopted by the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for 2001-2018

— A Memorandum was signed between the governments of the SCO member states on the main goals and directions of regional economic cooperation and the launch of a process to create favorable conditions in the field of trade and investment.

— A decision was adopted “On the establishment of a mechanism for meetings of ministers responsible for foreign economic and foreign trade activity».

— The Decision on “Development of a draft program of multilateral trade and economic cooperation” was adopted.

— Adopted a statement condemning the terrorist acts committed in the United States.

— The Program for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States was approved.

— The Memorandum "On the technical launch of the permanent bodies of the SCO - the Secretariat in Beijing (People's Republic of China) and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent (Republic of Uzbekistan)" was signed.

— Decisions “On the SCO Budget for 2004” and “On the Regulations on Salaries, Guarantees and Compensations” were adopted full-time employees permanent bodies of the SCO”.

— The “Structure and staffing of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the SCO” was approved.

— The Joint Communiqué of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO Member States was signed.

— The Action Plan for the Implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States was approved.

- Approved Financial provisions SCO".

— The Regulations for the Budget Classification of the SCO were approved.

— The Decision "On the establishment of an expert working group to prepare proposals on the procedure for the formation and principles of functioning of the SCO Development Fund" was signed.

— The Decision "On the establishment of an expert working group on the issues of the SCO Business Council" was signed.

— An official presentation of the SCO Regional Economic Cooperation website — http://www.sco-ec.gov.cn .

— A Joint Communiqué was signed following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO Member States.

— The “Mechanism for the implementation of the Action Plan for the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— The SCO Financial Rules were approved.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— The Agreement on Interbank Cooperation (Association) within the framework of the SCO was signed.

— An Agreement was signed between the governments of the SCO member states on cooperation in rendering assistance in liquidation of emergency situations.

— A Joint Communiqué was signed following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO Member States.

— The Decision “On the new structure and staffing Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on accelerating the development of a draft Agreement between the governments of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on creating favorable conditions for international road transport.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— An Agreement was signed between the governments of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters.

— The Decision "On the new structure and staffing of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" was adopted.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— A Joint Communique was signed following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The “Updated version of the Action Plan for the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization” was approved.

— The Protocol was signed between the customs services of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the exchange of information in the field of control over the movement of energy resources.

— A Joint Communique was signed following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— A protocol was signed between the customs services of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on cooperation in the field of training and advanced training of customs officials.

— A joint initiative was adopted to intensify multilateral economic cooperation to overcome the consequences of the global financial and economic crisis and ensure the further development of the economies of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— A Joint Statement on Combating Infectious Diseases within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was adopted.

— A Joint Communique was signed following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The “Regulations on the personnel of the permanent bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization” were approved.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— A Joint Communique was signed following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The Joint Statement of the Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO member states on the economic situation in the world and in the SCO space was adopted.

— The Strategy for the further development of the Interbank Association within the framework of the SCO for the medium term (2012-2016) was signed.

— A Joint Communique was signed following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The “Report of the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization” was approved.

— The Protocol to the Agreement between the governments of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on cooperation in providing assistance in the elimination of emergency situations of October 26, 2005 was signed.

— A Memorandum was signed between the customs services of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on cooperation in the protection of intellectual property rights.

— A Joint Communique was signed following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— A joint statement of the heads of government (prime ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the further development of cooperation in the field of transport was adopted.

— A program for informing about the epidemiological situation caused by infectious diseases on the territory of the SCO member states.

— A Joint Communiqué was signed following the thirteenth meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The Decision "On further work on the creation of the SCO Development Bank and the SCO Development Fund (Special Account)" was adopted.

— The Decision “On the Plan of Actions for the Implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the List of Measures for further development project activities within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for the period 2017-2021”.

— A Memorandum was signed between the customs services of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on cooperation in the field of development and application of the risk management system.

— The Protocol on cooperation between the customs services of the member states of the Shanghai Organization for Cooperation in Law Enforcement was signed.

— A Joint Communiqué was signed on the results of the fourteenth meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The Statement of the Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on regional economic development was adopted.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— The decision "On further work on the creation of the SCO Development Bank and the SCO Development Fund (Special Account)" was adopted.

— The “Program of interaction between the customs services of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for 2016-2021” was signed.

— A Joint Communiqué was signed following the fifteenth meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The “Report of the SCO Secretariat on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States” was approved.

— The decision “On the List of measures for the further development of project activities within the SCO for the period 2017-2021” was adopted;

— The Decision “On further work on the establishment of the Development Bank of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Development Fund (Special Account) of the SCO” was adopted;

— The Decision “On the Concept of SCO Scientific and Technical Partnership” was adopted;

— The Decision “On the Action Plan for the implementation of the Agreement between the governments of the SCO member states on scientific and technical cooperation for the period from 2016 to 2020” was adopted;

— The Decision “On the Draft Program for the Development of SCO Roads” was adopted.

— A Joint Communiqué was signed on the results of the sixteenth meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— A Joint Communiqué was signed on the results of the seventeenth meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

— The Decision "On the development of a new edition of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" was adopted.

— The Decision “On the Plan of Practical Measures (“Roadmap”) for Cooperation between Research Institutions of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for 2019-2020 was adopted.”

— The Decision "On the implementation of the Concept of cooperation of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the field of environmental protection" was adopted.

2019 / 07 / 15

The Council of Heads of State is the supreme body of the SCO. It determines the priorities and develops the main directions of the Organization's activities, resolves the 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 shall be carried out by the head of state - the organizer of the next meeting. The venue for the next meeting of the Council is determined, as a rule, in the Russian alphabetical order of the names of the SCO member states.

2019 / 07 / 16

SCO University

The initiative to create the SCO University was put forward by the President Russian Federation V.V. Putin at the Bishkek summit on August 16, 2007. and supported by the SCO member states the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Tajikistan. The concept of the SCO University was developed.

At the meeting of the Ministers of Education of the SCO member states (Astana, October 28, 2008), the Concept for the Establishment and Functioning of the SCO University was signed (Appendix 1).

On September 6, 2017 in Astana, the countries signed the Agreement on the Establishment and Functioning of the University of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Main mission Shanghai Cooperation Organization University is the implementation of the joint training of highly qualified personnel on the basis of agreed innovative educational programs in specialties of priority interest for the economic and social development of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as the SCO or the Organization).

The main tasks of the SCO University:

Maintaining a single educational space and integration trends.
. Expansion of the exchange of students, graduate students, doctoral students and scientific and pedagogical workers.
. Expansion of scientific and academic cooperation.
. Introduction of modern educational methods and technologies.
. Conducting expert reviews and developing recommendations in specific areas of SCO cooperation.
. Training of personnel for SCO structures and organizations affiliated with it.

The SCO University is a network of head (basic) universities of the SCO member states with an agreed curriculum.

Training levels:

Master's degree, doctoral studies (postgraduate studies), bachelor's degree
. advanced training, professional retraining and distance education programs

Form of study:

Teaching language:

SCO official languages: Russian and Chinese
. national languages SCO member states
. possibility of using English

The system of head (basic) universities:

Each country determines the head (basic) universities in the areas of training.
. The head (basic) universities determine the coordinating university for each area of training.
. Leading (basic) universities are coordinating curricula SCO University according to the agreed methodology.

The system of education at the SCO University:

The student enters the national head (basic) university of the SCO University.
. A student can continue his education at another head (basic) university (according to agreed programs).

Management system at the SCO University

Coordinating Council The University is the supreme governing body of the University, accountable to the meeting of the Ministers of Education of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The Coordinating Council of the University includes one representative of the state authority of the USCO member state, which performs the functions of developing public policy and legal regulation in the field of education (usually at the level of deputy head), as well as chairmen of the council of rectors.

Coordinating Council of the University:

Develops regulations for its work, which is approved by the decision of the meeting of the Ministers of Education of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization;
. approves the Charter of the University;
. appoints the Rector of the University;
. approves long-term and annual work plans of the University based on the proposals of the Rector of the University;
. listens to the reports of the Rector of the University on the implementation of long-term and annual work plans of the University.

Board of Trustees The University is created to assist the University in the implementation of joint educational programs, scientific and scientific and technical projects, attract additional extrabudgetary funds, support the interests of the University in state and non-governmental organizations, non-governmental foundations and organizations, ensure the formation of a positive image of the University in the global educational community.

The Board of Trustees of the University includes representatives of state and non-governmental organizations, non-governmental foundations and public organizations, experts of the participating States.

2019 / 07 / 16

The Business Council of the SCO Member States was established by the Regulations on the SCO BC dated June 14, 2006 in Shanghai (People's Republic of China) by the national parts of the SCO member states (SCO BC) with the Secretariat in Moscow. Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the SCO BC - S. V. Kanavsky.

DS SCO is non-governmental organization uniting the business and financial circles of the SCO member states - the Republic of India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, China People's Republic, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The main goals of the Business Council are: expanding economic cooperation within the SCO, establishing direct ties and dialogue between the business and financial circles of the SCO member states, engaging in comprehensive business cooperation in the trade, economic and investment fields.

The Business Council carries out its activities taking into account the SCO Charter, the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States, the Action Plan for the Implementation said Program, decisions of the Council of Heads of State (hereinafter CHS) and the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO Member States (hereinafter CHP), other documents in the economic sphere adopted by SCO bodies.

The Business Council functions in cooperation with the Meeting of Ministers of the SCO Member States Responsible for Foreign Economic and Foreign Trade Activities, the SCO Secretariat and other SCO structures.

The supreme body of the SCO BC is the meeting of the Board, which is held on the eve of the summit of the heads of the SCO member states in the country chairing the Organization. Since 2015, representatives of chambers of commerce and industry of observer states and SCO dialogue partners have been invited to meetings of the Board.

In accordance with the Protocol of the 20th meeting of the Board of the SCO DC (17 May 2019, Bishkek), the chairmanship from January 1, 2019 passes to the National part of the SCO DC from the Russian Federation.

2019 / 07 / 15

The Council of National Coordinators is the body of the SCO, which coordinates and manages the current activities of the Organization. He spends necessary training 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 in year. The chairmanship of the Council shall be exercised by the national coordinator of the Member State of the Organization, on whose territory the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State will be held, for a 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 regular 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 external contacts in accordance with the Regulations on the Procedure for the Council of National Coordinators.

2015 / 12 / 08

About the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization, the establishment of which was announced on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai (PRC) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.

In June 2002, at the St. Petersburg Summit of the Heads of State of the SCO Member States, the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed, which entered into force on September 19, 2003. This is the basic statutory document that fixes the goals and principles of the organization, its structure and main activities.

On June 8-9, 2017, a historic meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Astana, during which the status of a member state of the Organization was granted to the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The main goals of the SCO include: strengthening mutual trust and good neighborliness between the member countries; promotion of their effective cooperation in the political, trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural fields, as well as in the field of education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection and others; joint provision and maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region; moving towards the creation of a democratic, just and rational new international political and economic order.

In relations within the organization, the SCO member states, based on the "Shanghai spirit", adhere to the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and the desire for common development, and in external relations adhere to the principle of non-alliance, not directed against anyone and openness.

The highest decision-making body in the SCO is the Council of Heads of Member States (CHS). It meets once a year and takes decisions and instructions on all important issues of the Organization. The Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO Member States (CGP) meets once a year to discuss the strategy of multilateral cooperation and priority areas within the Organization, address fundamental and topical issues of economic and other cooperation, and also approves the annual budget of the Organization. official languages SCO are Russian and Chinese.

In addition to the meetings of the CHS and the CHP, there is also a mechanism for meetings at the level of heads of parliaments, secretaries of security councils, ministers of foreign affairs, defense, emergency situations, economy, transport, culture, education, healthcare, heads of law enforcement agencies, supreme and arbitration courts, prosecutors general. The Council of National Coordinators of the SCO Member States (CNC) serves as the coordination mechanism within the SCO.

The organization has two permanent bodies - the SCO Secretariat in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the SCO in Tashkent. The SCO Secretary General and the Director of the SCO RATS Executive Committee are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a period of three years. Since January 1, 2019, these posts have been respectively occupied by Vladimir Norov (Uzbekistan) and Dzhumakhon Giyosov (Tajikistan).

So currently:

eight countries are SCO member states - the Republic of India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Uzbekistan;
four countries have the status of an observer state in the SCO - the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mongolia;
six countries are partners in the SCO dialogue - the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Republic of Turkey, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

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 forthcoming 15th anniversary of this fundamental document, adopted at the summit in St. Petersburg on June 7, 2002. On this occasion, Beijing, where the headquarters of the SCO is located, hosted a symposium dedicated to the history, current realities and development prospects 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 formation of that model of cooperation, which from year to year confirms its effectiveness. In the jubilee year, it is especially useful to take another close look at this historic document, primarily from the point of view of its contribution to the practice of international relations and the role it plays in the fate of the organization, and the impact 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, by defining the goals and key areas of cooperation, laying a solid legal basis functioning of the organization, presented the world with a vivid example of a new reading of the universally recognized foundations of interstate interaction.

On what are such judgments based?

- First of all, the SCO is one of the few multi-profile 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, which fixes 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 recall the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries, then there were no ready-made "patterns", especially an exemplary model range of regional partnership. Even the term itself has not yet gained wide acceptance in the international lexicon. It can be said without exaggeration that a large, painstaking and creative work on the formation of the SCO, including the preparation of the Charter, was largely pioneering.

- What is the difference between the "SCO type" partnership?

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

– Partnership is, rather, an active cooperative interaction based on the joint definition of areas of convergence of interests, the equivalence of opinions all together and each separately, regardless of the political and economic weight categories of actors, while fully preserving and respecting the independence of partnership subjects 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 equitable it is, the stronger and more effective the partnership becomes.

- Why don't we call partnership within the framework of the SCO an alliance?

– It must be borne in mind that a partnership is different from a traditional alliance. Military-political alliances are characterized by a very high degree of political interdependence, as well as a certain isolation due to the fact that an alliance usually implies a kind of mobilization readiness to counter someone. This is not a classic economic integration pursuing the goal 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 of the adoption of the SCO Charter, 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 proclaimed mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, 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; renunciation of unilateral military superiority; equality, mutual understanding and respect for opinions; peaceful resolution of disagreements between Member States; non-direction against other states and international organizations; prevention of any illegal actions directed against the interests of the SCO; conscientious performance obligations arising from the Charter and other documents adopted within the organization.

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

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

– An integral feature of the SCO partnership model has become its transparency and non-direction against anyone. The SCO adheres to a line that excludes bloc, ideological and confrontational approaches to solving urgent international and regional problems. The organization strictly follows the principles enshrined in the SCO Charter, including 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 has not lost its relevance to this day, is the consensus decision-making model.

It emphasizes the exclusive equality of all members of the association, regardless of potential and opportunities. All decisions taken within the framework of the SCO are the result of crystallization and unification of the views, opinions and approaches of the founding states. Thus, it is legitimate to consider the SCO as a good example of a consensus-type partnership association.

Does everyone understand and accept this?

- It should be noted that in various expert circles there are those who are inclined to dispute the effectiveness of such a model, often emphasizing its inability to ensure the proper level of efficiency of the organization. In addition, there are opinions that the consensus principle can also lead to blocking by the "minority" of decisions agreed by the majority of the participants, a kind of veto right. I believe that this is a special topic, including for scientific discussions and research. However, if we go a little deeper into the analysis of this topic, we can see that, unlike the right of veto, which is based on the irresistibility of a negative vote, the consensus rule focuses 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 add up quickly, then this does not mean a "stop signal", the cessation of further efforts in the direction taken to finally find the common denominator. In other words, the effectiveness of the consensus rule should be considered not from the point of view of the process, but from the point of view of the final 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 finds expression in the practice of its implementation at all levels of the SCO mechanisms.

– To what extent is the "Shanghai spirit" that underlies the organization's activities embodied in the Charter?

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

– Doesn't the "consensus" model of decision-making in the SCO mean that someone will try to "pull the blanket over himself", pushing through the necessary decisions?

- Practice shows that the model operating within the framework of the SCO works in such a way that, no matter how acute the issue, each side seeks to find a way to mutual agreement, which is clearly expressed in the ability to listen, hear and listen to each other. In my opinion, such a system of relationships was most succinctly described by the ancient Chinese thinker Confucius, who said: "Noble men make friends when they disagree, and insignificant people quarrel when they are of one mind." This is the uniqueness of the organization, in which the interests of each of the parties can and do match the interests of all.

In my opinion, such a system of relationships was most succinctly described by the ancient Chinese thinker Confucius, who said: "Noble men make friends when they disagree, and insignificant people quarrel when they are of one mind"

Today, the SCO is an example of the possibilities not only for the coexistence of states of different scale, weight and structure, belonging to different cultural and national traditions. It creates favorable conditions for the combination of goals and values, the productive establishment and development of inter-civilizational dialogue, the establishment of a culture of communication focused on obtaining a joint and mutually beneficial result. Another the most important feature Charter was that she laid the universal character 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 invariable desire of all founding countries for joint development as a summary indicator of the other three components. parts and the main synergetic landmark of their integrated implementation.

- At the very beginning, the SCO was built as an organization that strengthens regional security. Is this initial 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 to anyone that sustainable development without ensuring the proper level of security is impossible. The changing nature of contemporary challenges and threats continues to require close attention. The SCO was created for the sake of the development and prosperity of the peoples living in the area of the organization, and that is why the Charter identified joint counteraction to terrorism, separatism and extremism in all their manifestations, an uncompromising fight against drug trafficking and weapons trafficking, and other types of transnational criminal activity among the key priorities of the association. activities, as well as illegal migration.

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

Being a key area of the SCO's work, the cooperation of the member states in the field of ensuring regional security and stability has made it possible to achieve significant results. Today, the space of the organization is characterized by a stable environment, which is ensured by the joint work of member states to counter 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-Terrorist 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 terrorist and extremist crimes have been suppressed; 440 terrorist training bases and about 1,700 members of international terrorist organizations have been eliminated; more than 2,700 members of illegal armed groups, their accomplices and persons suspected of criminal activity were detained; extradited 213 persons involved in the activities of terrorist and extremist organizations, many of whom were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment; 180 persons are put on the wanted list; 600 caches and caches of weapons were discovered, more than 3,250 improvised explosive devices, about 10,000 weapons, about 450,000 pieces of ammunition and more than 52 tons of explosives were confiscated. 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 framework of the organization is also important, isn't it?

– The trade and economic sphere is also defined by the SCO Charter as one of driving forces organizations. The joint development of infrastructure, communications, 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 framework of the SCO. To address practical issues of an economic nature, the Charter determined the establishment 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: roads and railways, bridges and transport crossings are being built. For 15 years, the number of regular flights between the SCO member states has increased many times over. For example, weekly air traffic from Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Uzbekistan more than quadrupled to China alone, eight times from Tajikistan, and twelve times from Kazakhstan. 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 cooperation is the Agreement of the SCO Member States on the Creation of Favorable Conditions for International Road Transport, which formalized the legal framework for parity conditions for road carriers and laid a uniform basis for international road transport from of Eastern Europe before east coasts Russia and China. The practical implementation of the Agreement will undoubtedly give a new impetus to the construction of new and reconstruction of existing sections of roads 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 priorities?

- The key basis for strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good-neighborliness between the SCO member states is humanitarian cooperation. The stable dialogue of different cultures and civilizations established within the framework of the SCO contributes to their mutual knowledge, enrichment and, ultimately, greater mutual understanding of the peoples of the SCO member states. This is the main civilizational mission of the organization, it is being successfully implemented thanks to an integrated approach, reflected in its founding document. The SCO Charter, originally aimed at building a democratic and fair architecture of international relations, has created a world precedent within the framework of a largely unique inter-civilizational 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 called upon to assist sovereign participants in matching positions and approaches regarding topical international problems and regional tasks, to concentrate efforts on common goals in accordance with the principles of voluntary cooperation and equal cooperation. This feature of the SCO, along with pronounced 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 activities of the organization.

– 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 accepting new powerful and authoritative states in the international community - India and Pakistan, whose entry will significantly strengthen the SCO, expand its potential and opportunities. The organization will become the most powerful trans-regional structure, uniting more than 44% of the world's population in the space from the Arctic to indian ocean from north to south and from Liyanyungang to Kaliningrad from east to west.

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

It becomes obvious that this new phenomenon in the life of the organization will require serious reconfiguration and adaptation. internal activities. Such work is already underway with potential full members of the organization. The first steps are encouraging, they testify that India and Pakistan, taking into account their weight in regional and world affairs, will make their 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, fixed in the SCO Charter, the SCO continues to actively develop contacts and international cooperation, bringing a creative beginning to world affairs.

– And all this is connected with the SCO Charter?

- Summing up the comprehension of some of the most important conceptual elements of the SCO Charter, I would like to call for the continuation of an in-depth analysis of this legal phenomenon - a document that has become, in fact, a new word in international practice. I am convinced that an inquisitive mind, delving into the details, will always find new interesting features and opportunities, will see new perspectives. I want to emphasize again, in my opinion, main feature 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 solidarity 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 cooperation, joint development and prosperity of the peoples of the SCO. I am convinced that such 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

The content of the article

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION, SCO is a sub-regional international organization, which includes 6 states - Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The total territory of the SCO member states is 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. The official working languages are Russian and Chinese. Headquarters in Beijing.

The symbolism of the SCO includes a white flag with the emblem of the organization in the center. The coat of arms depicts two laurel wreaths on the sides, in the center is a symbolic image of the Eastern Hemisphere of the earth with the outlines of the earth's land, which is occupied by the "six", above and below - the inscription in Chinese and Russian: "Shanghai Cooperation Organization".

The main stages in the 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 of Confidence building agreements in the military field in the border area(1996) and Agreements on the 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 there was a 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". Joint work at the summits in Alma-Ata (1998), Bishkek (1999), Dushanbe (2000) made it possible to create an atmosphere of what has become known as the "Shanghai spirit" - to develop an atmosphere of mutual trust, through the first experience of mutual consultations to come to a mechanism for reaching consensus and voluntary consent to comply with the provisions of the agreements reached. Gradually, the range of issues expanded to the areas of foreign policy, economics, environmental protection, including the use water resources, culture, 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. In the summit Declarations the maintenance and provision of peace, security and stability in Central Asia, as well as the development of cooperation in the political, trade, economic, scientific, technical, cultural, educational, energy, transport, environmental and other fields were proclaimed as the main goals. Another important document Convention against terrorism, separatism and extremism first pinned on international level definition of separatism and extremism as violent, criminally prosecuted acts. Its signing is connected with China's concerns about separatist actions near the borders with Central Asia, where the Uyghurs live - Turkic-speaking Muslims who inhabit the west of China. Another equally interested country - Uzbekistan - has the largest population of all the states of Central Asia 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 the 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-Terrorist Structure and Declaration of the Heads of State of the SCO Member States. The Charter legally fixed the 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 the basic document that determines, along with the main areas of cooperation, the internal structure and mechanism for forming a common course and building relationships with other countries and organizations.

The charter was signed in 2002 and ratified by the Federation Council in 2003.

Based on the 2001 Convention, in order to improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug and arms trafficking, as well as illegal migration, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) was created, which in 2002 received the status of a permanent body of the SCO. Its function is to coordinate law enforcement and intelligence agencies of the SCO states.

In May 2003, the third key meeting in the history of the SCO was held at highest level in Moscow. Documents were signed at it defining the procedure for the work of the main bodies of the SCO, the mechanism for the formation of the budget and other issues related to the current work of various divisions of the SCO. The emblem and flag of the organization were adopted. The Russian-speaking Ambassador 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 formalization of this organization at the Moscow summit, which was noted in the political Declaration adopted at the end of the meeting. It also set the task of working out a clear mechanism for the foreign policy coordination of the actions of the SCO members both in Central Asia and on the world stage as a whole.

The main bodies of the SCO.

The order of work of the SCO bodies was finally determined only at the Moscow summit in 2003. It was decided that all the main structures of the SCO would begin full-fledged work from 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 member countries in Beijing for ensuring the activities of the secretariat in the initial period of work. The list of major organs includes:

Council of Heads of State – annual summits SCO in the capitals of the participating countries.

Council of Heads of Government.

Council of Foreign Ministers(CMFA) - the first meeting was held in November 2002. It precedes summit 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 on Combating 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 were held back in 2000 within the framework of the "five", since then they have been held on a regular basis.

Secretariat(Beijing) - its number is up to 40 people, should start work in 2004.

Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure(RATS) (Bishkek). In August 2003, the anti-terrorist exercises of the armed forces of the SCO countries "Interaction-2003" were held. Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan (Tajikistan - as an observer) took part in the first stage of the exercises in Kazakhstan. The second stage took place in China. The full functioning of the headquarters of the RATS 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 a divergence of interests between its members and uncertainty about its status due to the duplication of many SCO functions by the recently formed Dushanbe Treaty Organization on collective security(CSTO), which includes four of the six members of the SCO. In addition, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have not yet ratified the SCO charter, adopted in 2002. This hinders the registration of the SCO in the UN and, as a result, the international recognition of its subjectivity. At the same time, countries such as Iran, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the United States and regional organizations represented by ASEAN and the EU are showing interest in cooperation.

The issue of the foreign policy orientation of the participating countries remains one of the key issues in assessing the prospects for the development of this organization. Analysts note that initiatives such as the project of a transport corridor from Shanghai to St. Transport Corridor Europe Caucasus Asia).

Differences between the SCO countries were most clearly identified with regard to 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 joined the SCO in advance 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 between 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 system of collective security both in Central Asia and in the Asia-Pacific region. SCO is 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 the SCO member countries in international unions and organizations with different obligations. So for China, its participation is generally an exception to the rule, because 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 members. Thus, some SCO initiatives are obviously aimed at weakening American influence in the region, which is in line with China's desire to weaken American influence in the region and corresponds to Russia's desire to create a multipolar world, voiced back in the days of Foreign Minister and then Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Yevgeny Primakov. In the words of Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov after the Moscow summit in 2003, "The SCO must become a new type of modern organization that meets the requirements of a multipolar world."

Mikhail Lipkin

APPENDIX

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 historically established ties of their peoples;

seeking to further deepen all-round cooperation;

desiring by 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 a more effective joint use of emerging opportunities and countering new challenges and threats;

believing that interaction within the framework of the SCO contributes to unlocking the enormous potential of good neighborliness, unity and cooperation between states and their peoples;

proceeding from the spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, 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 26 April 1996 and 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 the mutual reduction of armed forces in the border area of April 24, 1997, as well as in the documents signed during the 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 their 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:

Targets and goals

The main goals and objectives of the SCO are:

strengthening of mutual trust, friendship and good-neighbourliness between member states;

development of multidisciplinary cooperation in order to maintain and strengthen peace, security and stability in the region, to promote the construction of a new democratic, just and rational political and economic international order;

joint counteraction to terrorism, separatism and extremism in all their manifestations, combating drug and arms trafficking, other types of transnational criminal activity, as well as illegal migration;

encouragement of effective regional cooperation in political, trade and economic, defense, law enforcement, environmental protection, cultural, scientific and technical, educational, energy, transport, credit and financial and other areas of common interest;

promotion of comprehensive and balanced economic growth, social and cultural development in the region through joint actions based on equal partnership in order to steadily improve the level and improve the living conditions of the peoples of the Member States;

coordination of approaches to integration into the world economy;

promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the international obligations of the Member States and their national legislation;

maintenance and development of relations with other states and international organizations;

interaction in the prevention of international conflicts and their peaceful settlement;

joint search for solutions to problems that will arise in the twenty-first century.

Principles

The SCO member states adhere to the following principles:

mutual respect for the 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 all member states, search for common points of view based on mutual understanding and respect for the opinions of each of them;

step-by-step implementation of joint actions in areas of common interest;

peaceful resolution of disagreements between Member States;

non-direction of the SCO against other states and international organizations;

preventing any illegal actions directed against the interests of the SCO;

conscientious fulfillment of the obligations arising from this Charter and other documents adopted within the framework of the SCO.

Areas of cooperation

The main areas of cooperation within the SCO are:

maintaining peace and strengthening security and confidence in the region;

search 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 counter terrorism, separatism and extremism, drug and arms 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 in various forms, promoting the creation of favorable conditions for trade and investment in order to gradually realize the free movement of goods, capital, services and technologies;

efficient use of the existing infrastructure in the field of transport and communications, improvement of the transit potential of the Member States, development of energy systems;

ensuring rational nature management, including the use of water resources in the region, the implementation of joint special environmental programs and projects;

provision of mutual assistance in the prevention of natural and man-made emergencies and the elimination of their consequences;

exchange of legal information in the interests of developing cooperation within the framework of the SCO;

expansion of interaction in the field of science and technology, education, healthcare, culture, sports and tourism.

The SCO member states may, by mutual agreement, expand the areas of cooperation.

1. To fulfill the goals and objectives of this Charter, the following shall 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 antiterrorist structure;

Secretariat.

2. The functions and procedures for the work 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 establish other bodies of the SCO. The creation of new bodies is formalized in the form of additional protocols to this Charter, which enter into force in the manner prescribed by Article 21 of this Charter.

Council of Heads of State

Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers)

The Council meets for regular meetings once a year. The meeting of the Council is chaired by the head of government (Prime Minister) of the state in whose territory the meeting is held.

The venue 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 meets, as a rule, 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 Ministers of Foreign Affairs of all other Member States. The venue of the regular and extraordinary meetings of the Council is determined by mutual agreement.

The chairmanship of the Council shall be exercised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Member State of the Organization on whose territory the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State is held, for a period starting from the date of completion of the last ordinary meeting of the Council of Heads of State and ending with the date of the ordinary meeting of the Council of Heads of State.

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs represents the Organization in the implementation of external contacts in accordance with the Regulations on the Procedure of the Council.

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 sectoral ministries and / or departments of the Member States hold meetings on a regular basis to consider specific issues of developing cooperation in relevant areas within the framework of the SCO.

The chairmanship is carried out by the head of the relevant ministry and / or department of the host state of the meeting. The place and time of the meeting will be agreed in advance.

For the preparation and holding of 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 body of the SCO, which coordinates and manages the current activities of the Organization. He carries out the necessary preparations for the 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 chairmanship of the Council shall be exercised by the national coordinator of the Member State of the Organization, on whose territory the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State will be held, for a 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 regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State.

Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure

The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the States Parties to 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.

Its main tasks and functions, the principles of formation and financing, as well as the procedure for its activities are regulated by a separate international agreement concluded between the Member States, and other necessary documents adopted by them.

Secretariat

The Secretariat is a permanent administrative body of the SCO. It provides organizational and technical support for the events held within the framework of the SCO, prepares proposals for the organization's annual budget.

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 the Russian alphabetical order of the names of the Member States for a period of three years without the right to renew for another term.

The Deputy Executive Secretaries are approved by the Council of Foreign Ministers on the proposal of the Council of National Coordinators. They may not be representatives of the State for which the Executive Secretary is appointed.

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

In the performance of their duties, the Executive Secretary, his deputies and other officers of the Secretariat shall not seek or receive instructions from any Member State and/or government, organizations or individuals. They must refrain from any action 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 Secretariat staff and not to influence them in the performance of their official duties.

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

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 amounts of contributions that Member States make annually to the budget of the Organization on the basis of the principle of shared participation.

Budget funds are directed to finance the permanent bodies of the SCO in accordance with the above-mentioned Agreement. The Member States bear the costs associated with the participation of their representatives and experts in the Organization's events.

Membership

The SCO is open for admission to membership of other states of the region, which undertake to comply with the purposes and principles of this Charter, as well as the provisions of other international treaties and documents adopted within the framework of the SCO.

The decision on the admission of new members to the SCO is made by the Council of Heads of State on the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers on the basis of an official application of the interested state sent to the current Chairman of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

Membership in the SCO 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 framework of the SCO may be suspended on the proposal of the Council of Foreign Ministers by 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. Obligations that have arisen during the period of participation in this Charter and other documents adopted within the framework of the SCO, bind the respective 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 can grant the 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 as a subject of international law has international legal capacity. It shall enjoy in the territory of each Member State such legal capacity as is necessary for the realization of its aims and objectives.

The SCO enjoys the rights legal entity and may 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 taken by agreement without voting and are considered adopted if none of the member states objected to them during the agreement process (consensus), with the exception of decisions to suspend membership or expel from the Organization, which are made on the basis of the “consensus” principle. minus one vote of the Member State concerned.”

Any Member State may express its point of view on certain aspects and / or specific issues of decisions being made, 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 where one or more Member States are not interested in the implementation of individual cooperation projects that are of interest to other Member States, the non-participation of the said Member States in them does not prevent the implementation of such cooperation projects by the interested Member States and, at the same time, does not prevent the said States Members to further join in the implementation of such projects.

Execution of decisions

The decisions of the SCO bodies are executed by the member states in accordance with the procedures determined by their national legislation.

Control over the fulfillment of the obligations of the Member States to implement this Charter, other treaties in force within the framework of the SCO and decisions of its bodies is carried out by the SCO bodies within their competence.

permanent representatives

The 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 the member states in Beijing.

Privileges and Immunities

The SCO and its officials enjoy on the territories of all member states the privileges and immunities 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.

Validity and entry into force

This Charter is concluded for an indefinite period.

This Charter shall be subject to ratification by the signatory states and shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of the fourth instrument of ratification being deposited with the depositary.

For a state that has signed this Charter and ratified it later, it shall enter into force on the date of its deposit with the depositary of its instrument of ratification.

After the entry into force of this Charter, it is open for accession by any state.

For the acceding State, this Charter shall enter into force on the thirtieth day from the date of receipt by the depositary of the relevant instruments of accession.

Dispute Resolution

In the event of disputes and disagreements arising in connection with the interpretation or application of this Charter, the 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 on amendments and additions are drawn up in separate protocols, which are its integral part and enter into force in the manner prescribed by Article 21 of this Charter.

Reservations

No reservations may be made to this Charter that are contrary to the principles, goals and objectives of the Organization, and may also prevent 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, goals and objectives of the Organization or hindering the performance of any body of its functions and having no legal force.

Depositary

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 and both texts are equally valid.

An original copy of this Charter shall be deposited with the depositary, who shall send certified copies to all signatory states.

For the Republic

Kazakhstan

For Chinese

People's

Republic

For the Kyrgyz

Republic

For the Russian

Federation

For the Republic of Tajikistan

For the Republic of Uzbekistan

Literature:

Systematic history of international relations in 4 volumes. events and documents. 1918–2003. Ed. A.D. Bogaturova. Volume three. Developments. 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