The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – a Eurasian political, economic, and security country grouping – has outlined areas for practical cooperation. Its member countries underscore that the organization is not a military-political bloc, emphasizing that cooperation among members fosters broad and inclusive global partnership.
The SCO has ten member states – Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan and Mongolia are observer states. SCO “dialogue partners” are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Sri Lanka. The official languages of the organization are Russian and Chinese.
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The 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from 31 August to 1 September 2026. Held on the theme, ‘25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity,’ the summit focused on multilateral cooperation in the areas of politics, security, trade, investment, energy, industry, ecology, tourism, and new technologies.
Addressing participants, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said “multipolarity is the best support for effective multilateralism.” Calling the SCO “an important pillar of multilateralism,” he outlined four areas of global governance requiring stronger partnership:
- Global peace and security;
- Financing for development (FfD) and reform of the global financial architecture;
- Climate action; and
- Artificial intelligence (AI), with guardrails in place and benefits shared among all countries.
Adopted at the conclusion of the summit, the Bishkek Declaration emphasizes the importance of the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultation, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of common development, all of which embody the “Shanghai Spirit.”
Along with the Bishkek Declaration, the meeting approved a total of 28 documents, including the Protocol on Amendments and Additions to the SCO Charter and the Statement of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States on Assistance to States Affected by Emergencies. Member states agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the SCO Secretariat and the African Union Commission (AUC) and to approve the provisions on the Universal Centre for Countering Challenges and Threats to the Security of SCO Member States and on the Executive Committee of the SCO Anti-Drug Centre.
The SCO meeting convened two weeks prior to the 2026 BRICS Summit. China, India, and the Russian Federation are members of both groupings. Saudi Arabia and the UAE also participate in both processes. [Publication: Bishkek Declaration (in Russian)] [SCO Press Release] [UN News Story] [About Shanghai Cooperation Organization]