The SCO is primarily centered on its member nations ‘Central Asian’ security related concerns, often describing the main threats it confronts as being terrorism, separatism and extremism.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been member of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996, after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization.
The threat of the 21st century included unprecedented achievements in setting the long standing disputes along the 700-kilometers border between China and the Soviet Union and its successor states.

If Pakistan and Iran become full members of SCO the whole geography, politics and economics dimensions of the region will change.

Aims and Purposes:
1. The threat of the 21st century included unprecedented achievements in setting the long standing disputes along the 700-kilometers border between China and the Soviet Union and its successor states.

2. The successful implementation of confidence and security building measures in the border areas.

3. To recognize the need for a more coherent response to regional security and economic development challenges generally.

4. China and Russia also saw the SCO as a vehicle for pursuing a number of interests connected with the continuing challenges to their central authority in Xingjiang province and Chechnya, respectively.

5. To combat so-called terrorism, separatism and extremism (not that SCO was launched before 9/11 attacks) were important drivers for the creation of the SCO.

6. Strengthening mutual trust and good neighbor relations among member states.

7. Promoting effective cooperation in political affairs, economy, trade and the scientific, technical, cultural and educational sphere as well as energy transportation, tourism and environmental protection.

8. Jointly safeguarding and preserving regional peace, security and stability.

9. Striving towards the creation of a democratic just, reasonable now international political and economic order.

Secretariat:
Beijing (China)

Secretary General:
Bolat Nurgaliyev (Kazakhstan)

Deputy Secretary General:
Valdimir Zakharov

Members:
1. China 2. Kazakhstan
3. Kyrgyzstan 4. Russia
5. Tajikistan 6. Uzbekistan

Observers:
1. India 2. Iran
3. Mongolia 4. Pakistan

Guest Attendance:
1. Afghanistan 2. ASEAN
3. CIS

Working Languages:
1. Chinese 2. Russian

SCO Structure

1. Council of Heads of States:
The Council of Heads of States is the top decision-making body in the SCO. The Council meets at the SCO summits, which are held each year in one of the member’s capital.

2. Council of Heads of Government:
The Council of Heads of Government is the second-highest council in the organization. This council also holds annual summits, at which time members discuss issues of multilateral cooperation. The Council also approves the organization budgets.

3. Council of Foreign Ministers:
The Council of foreign also hold regular meetings, where they discuss the current international situation and the SCO’s interaction with other international organisation.

4. Council of National Coordinators:
As the name suggests, the Council of National Coordinators coordinates the multilateral cooperation of member states within the framework of the SCO’s charter.

5. Secretariat:
The Secretariat of the SCO is the primary executive body of the organization. It serves to implement organizational decisions and decrees drafts proposed document (such as declarations and agenda) function as a document depository for the organization, arranges specific activities within the SCO frame work, and promotes and disseminates information about SCO. It is located in Beijing. The current SCO Secretary-General is Bolat Nurgaliyev of Kazakhstan.

SCO – Regional Anti – Terrorist Structure (RATS)
The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), headquarter in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. The Head of the RATS is elected to a three-your term. Each member state also sends a permanent representative to RATS.

Summits:
According to the charter of the SCO, summits of the Council of Head of State shall be held annually at alternating venues. The locations of these summits follow the alphabetical order of the member states name in Russia. To date 10 summits have been held:


1st – 2001 — Shanghai (China)
2nd – 2002 — Saint Petersburg (Russia)
3rd – 2003 — Moscow (Russia)
4th – 2004 — Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
5th – 2005 — Astana (Kazakhstan)
6th – 2006 — Shanghai (China)
7th – 2007 — Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan)
8th – 2008 — Dushanbe (Tajikistan)
9th – 2009 — Yekaterinburg (Russia)
10th – 2010 — Tashkent (Uzbekistan)

Activities:
1. Co-operation on Security:
The SCO is primarily centered on its member nations ‘Central Asian’ security related concerns, often describing the main threats it confronts as being terrorism, separatism and extremism. However, evidence is growing that its activities in the area of social development of its member states is increasing fast.

At 16-17 June 2004 SCO summit, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the regional Anti-terrorism structure was established. There have been a number of SCO joint military exercises. The SCO signed an agreement to broaden cooperation on issues such as security, crime and drug trafficking.

2. Economic Cooperation:
All SCO members but China are also member of the Eurasian Economic Community. A Frame Work Agreement to enhance cooperation was signed.

3. Free Trade Area:
A long-term objective to establish free trade area in the SCO, to improve the flow of goods in the region.

4. Cultural Cooperation:
Cultural cooperation also occurs in the SCO frame work. Culture ministers of the SCO met for the first time in Beijing 2002 signing a joint statement for continued cooperation.

SCO and Nato:
The SCO challenges the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s claim to be the only viable security organization in the region especially in Central Asia. According to many military experts of the USA that the SCO is acting as a Russia-China condominium for countering its influence in the region.

But it is predicted that there is no chance of militaristic conflict between Nato and SCO in the near future. But struggle for regional political supremacy, geo-strategic dominance and thirst and competition for sources of energy and “gas pipeline” would be rise.

If Pakistan and Iran become full members of SCO the whole geography, politics and economics dimensions of the region will change. It is also reality that the SCO is not a mutual defense pact, unlike the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which is a military alliance that has since expanded its original defensive mandate way beyond the North Atlantic region to carry on offensive operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since its establishment, SCO member states have held joint military exercises, most recently in 2007 near Russia’s Ural Mountains. Still, the SCO serves more as a forum to discuss multilateral issues of trade and security than a full-developed counterpart of Nato, which has expanded its sphere of operation way beyond the North Atlantic region.

On October 27, 2007, the SCO signed an agreement with the Collective Security Treaty Organization, whose members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

Main Possible Hurdles
a. The SCO observers are widely different countries with different interests in the organizations. Iran is interested in becoming a full member, viewing it as a guarantee of its security.

b. The new Mongolian leadership, which is said to be pro-western, but we cannot be sure of its position regarding the SCO after the election.

c. Differences between India and Pakistan are especially large and could complicate the SCO expansion.

Strategic Expansion
Iran and Pakistan, observer nations in the SCO along with India and Mongolia, have asked for full membership. Russia officials have said, the group’s enlargement is held back by lack of admission rules, but China has warned against excessive expansion, saying it could hinder cooperation.

The SCO decided to grant a partner nation status to Belarus and Sri Lanka. The President of Tajikistan endorsed the expansion of the SCO. He said that it would increase the organization’s authority. He further said, while supporting expansion of the SCO, we believe that along with cohesion and mutual support, this step will demonstrate increasing importance and influence of the SCO on the international stage.




Iran Strategic Proposals
a. Justice and mutual respect should be regarded as the best means for communications and constructive and durable cooperation, all should spare no effort to materialize these two goals in their international relations.

b. The SCO Secretariat must play a more active role in the fields of politics, economic, culture and security.

c. Use of a single currency in transactions and trade exchange among SCO member states as well as establishment of SCO bank with participation of all members.

d. Formation of two political and economic committees by the member states to precisely monitor global development in order to find a common political and economic strategy to improve international infrastructure in connection with regional and global developments.

e. Iran’s readiness to deepen and broaden cooperation with SCO.

Pakistan
a. The President projected Pakistan as an energy-cum trade corridor that could connect Central Asia with the Arabian Sea.

b. Pakistan offered Gwadar Port to all SCO members.

c. Pakistan is a country which is most suitably positioned to contribute to realizing the SCO objectives and goals.

Suggestions
a. All the member countries should resolve their bilateral or trilateral disputes to make SCO more effective and strong.

b. Disputes of water reservoir, natural resource sharing, transportation and other problems need to be solved.

c. Terrorism is a curse; therefore concrete efforts should be carried forwards. Anti-terrorism mechanism of the SCO ought to be proactive.

d. Nuclear non-proliferation treaty must be implemented in true spirits.

e. It is high time to extend Socio-economic cooperation between the member countries.

f. Financial cooperation and banking facilities should be shared.

g. Strategic expansion must be allowed as soon as possible. In this regard, the request of Pakistan and Iran may be entertained.

h. Pooling of natural reveries between the SCO countries.

i. Issues of air-bases must be resolved amicably.

Concluding Remarks:
The SCO provides alternative system of security, politics, economics, culture and above all humanity. SCO stands for peace, harmony, tolerance and respect for all. SCO represents live wire for all the developing countries to achieve development and better life. SCO is anti-protectionism, anti hegemony and anti-capitalistic.

SCO promises Socio-economics integration, cultural connectivity, geo-political cooperation, geo-strategic collaboration and statesmanship commitment to achieve certain objectives and goals. SCO is the custodian of regional supremacy, national sovereignty, territorial sensitivity and above all power broker’s sensibility.

It is hoped that economic might of China, military strength of Russia and rich oil and gas reservoirs of the Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Iran would strengthen the Socio-economic power, geo-political and geo-strategic participation of the SCO in the regional and international politics.

Mrs Ayesha Hassaan