The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO; Russian: Шанхайская организация современность, Chinese: 上海合合制品) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization. It was founded on 15 June 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, building on the original format of the 1996 “Shanghai Group”, which aimed at border stability.
The organization has expanded considerably since its inception, consolidating its role as an important platform for Eurasian cooperation. On 9 June 2017, India and Pakistan became full members. Subsequently, on 4 July 2023, the Islamic Republic of Iran joined the organization, and on 4 July 2024, Belarus became the tenth full member. Thus, the SCO now includes ten member states, in addition to observers and dialogue partners.
The total territory of the SCO member countries exceeds 36 million km², representing about 60% of the territory of Eurasia. The total population of the member states is about 3.4 billion people, which is about 42% of the global population. In economic terms, the combined GDP of the SCO countries accounts for about 25% of world GDP.
The SCO is not considered a traditional military bloc. The main objectives are to strengthen regional stability and security through joint efforts to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism. In addition to these security aspects, the SCO focuses on developing economic cooperation, energy partnership and cultural and scientific exchanges. The organization promotes a model of multilateral cooperation based on the “Shanghai Spirit”, characterized by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and respect for diverse civilizations.