ASSIGNMENT

Members:
21011587-013 Zahra Bukhari
21011587-037 Aqsa Shahbaz
21011587-077 Tasmeet Haider
21011587-085 IZMA
21011587-121 Shehram Fatima

IR-305 (Regional & international Organization)

BS IR Semester 4th (section B)
Submitted to:
MA’AM SHEHZADA AFZAL
 SHANGHAI COORPORATION ORGANIZTION

What is the SCO?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental
international organisation. The main goals of the SCO are strengthening mutual
confidence and good-neighbourly relations among the member countries;
promoting effective cooperation in politics, trade and economy, science and
technology, culture as well as education, energy, transportation, tourism,
environmental protection and other fields; making joint efforts to maintain and
ensure peace, security and stability in the region, moving towards the
establishment of a new, democratic, just and rational political and economic
international order.
Proceeding from the Spirit of Shanghai the SCO pursues its internal policy based
on the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equal rights, consultations, respect
for the diversity of cultures and aspiration towards common development, its
external policy is conducted in accordance with the principles of non-alignment,
non-targeting anyone and openness.
Head quarter
The headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is located in
Beijing, China.

History of the SCO

About creation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was proclaimed
on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai (China) by 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.
Prior to that, all of the above countries, except for Uzbekistan, were members
of the Shanghai Five, a political association based on the Agreement
on Confidence-Building in the Military Field in the Border Area (Shanghai, 1996)
and the Agreement on the Mutual Reduction of Armed Forces in the Border Area
(Moscow, 1997). These two documents laid down a mechanism of mutual trust
in the military sphere in the border area and contributed to the establishment
of true partnerships. Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the organisation
in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed the SCO.
Initially, the SCO focused on mutual intraregional efforts to curb terrorism,
separatism and extremism in Central Asia. The Charter of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation was signed at the St.Petersburg Summit of the Heads
of State of the SCO in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003. It
is a fundamental constituent document stipulating the objectives and principles
of the Organisation, its structure and its primary areas of activities. In addition, the
SCO plans to combat international drug trafficking as a source of financing global
terrorism were announced in 2006; in 2008, the Organisation actively participated
in normalising the situation in Afghanistan.

At the same time, the SCO took up a variety of economic activities. In September
2003, the heads of the SCO member states signed a 20-year Programme
of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation. As a long-term goal, the
programme provides for the establishment of a free trade zone within the territory
under the SCO member states; in the short run, it seeks to reinvigorate the process
of creating favourable environment for trade and investment.

The historical meeting of the Heads of State Council of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation was held on 8-9 June 2017 in Astana. On the meeting the status of a
full member of the Organization was granted to the Republic of India and the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

How does the SCO work?

The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the highest decision-making body in the
SCO. It meets once every year to take decisions and give instructions on all
important issues regarding SCO activity.
The Heads of Government Council (HGC) meets once per year to discuss a
strategy for multilateral cooperation and priority directions within the
Organisation's framework, to solve important and pressing cooperation issues
in economic and other areas, as well as to adopt the Organisation's annual budget.
In addition to sessions of the HSC and HGC, there are also mechanisms
of meetings on the level of Speakers of Parliament, Secretaries of Security
Councils, Foreign Ministers, Ministers of Defence, Emergency Relief, Economy,
Transportation, Culture, Education, Healthcare, Heads of Law Enforcement
Agencies, Supreme Courts and Courts of Arbitration, and Prosecutors General.
The Council of National Coordinators of SCO Member States (CNC) is in charge
of coordinating interaction within the SCO framework.

The Organisation has two permanent bodies — the Secretariat in Beijing (China)
and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent.
The SCO Secretary-General and RATS Executive Committee Director are
appointed by the HSC for a period of three years. Since 1 January 2016, these posts
are held by Rashid Alimov (Tajikistan) and Evgeniy Sisoev (Russia), respectively.
Russian and Chinese are the official working languages of the SCO.

What is the SCO RATS?

The Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)
of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is the permanent body of the
SCO RATS based in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure operates in accordance with the SCO
Charter, the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and
Extremism, the Agreement among the SCO member states on the Regional Anti-
Terrorist Structure, as well as documents and decisions adopted in the SCO
framework.

What is the SCO Business Council?

The Business Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was
founded on June 14, 2006 in Shanghai. It is a nongovernment entity that unites the
highly authoritative business community representatives of the SCO member states
with an eye towards expanding economic cooperation, establishing direct relations
and a dialogue between the business and financial communities, and facilitating the
practical promotion of multilateral projects. In addition to energy, transport,
telecommunications, lending and the banking sector, the council focuses on such
priorities of interstate cooperation between the SCO countries as education,
research and innovative technology, as well as healthcare and agriculture.
The SCO Business Council is an independent institution capable of taking
advisory decisions and giving expert assessments regarding the involvement
of members of the business communities of the SCO member states in trade,
economic and investment interaction within the framework of the Organisation.
Annual Session is the highest body of the Business Council that sets
priorities and formulates the primary targets for its activity and decides
on important issues concerning links with business associations from other states.
The SCO Business Council's Permanent Secretariat is headquartered in Moscow.

What is the SCO Interbank Consortium?

The SCO Interbank Consortium (SCO IBC) was established by the Council
of Heads of Government on 26 October 2005 to provide funding and bank services
for investment projects sponsored by the governments of the SCO member states.
The SCO IBC Council meets ad hoc upon the consensus of all of the parties
at least once per year. The Presidency of the Council is carried out on a rotational
basis.
The members of the SCO IBC are the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, the
State Development Bank of China, the Settlement & Savings Company of the
Kyrgyz Republic "RSK Bank", the Bank for Development and Foreign Economic
Affairs of the Russian Federation "Vnesheconombank", the State Savings Bank
of the Republic of Tajikistan "Amonatbonk", and the National Bank for Foreign
Economic Activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The priority areas of cooperation within the SCO IBC include: providing
funding for projects that focus on the infrastructure, basic industries, high-tech
industries, export-oriented sectors, and social projects; issuing and making loans
based on the generally accepted international banking practices; organising pre-
export financing to stimulate trade and economic cooperation between the SCO
Member States, and other areas of common interest.
SCO Heads of State Council
The Council of Heads of State shall be the supreme SCO body. It shall determine
priorities and define major areas of activities of the Organization, decide upon the fundamental
issues of its internal arrangement and functioning and its interaction with other States and
international organizations, as well as consider the most topical international issues.

SCO Heads of Government Council

The Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) shall approve the budget
of the Organization, consider and decide upon major issues related to particular,
especially economic, spheres of interaction within the Organization

SCO Foreign Ministers Council

The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs shall consider issues related to day-
today activities of the Organization, preparation of meetings of the Council of
Heads of State and holding of consultations on international problems within the
Organization. The Council may, as appropriate, make statements on behalf of
SCO.

Member states:
There are 9 Member States:

1. China
2. India
3. Kazakhstan
4. Kyrgyzstan
5. Russia
6. Pakistan
7. Tajikistan
8. Uzbekistan
 9. Iran
China: As one of the founding members of the organization and one of the most
influential countries, China plays an important role in promoting economic
cooperation, trade and investment within the SCO member states. It also
contributes to regional security initiatives and counter-terrorism measures.
Russia: Russia is a founding member and principal actor of the SCO, with a strong
focus on security cooperation and counter-terrorism operations. Due to strategic
partnerships within the organization, China often cooperates with China in these
areas.
Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan, as a founding member, has been actively engaged in
promoting regional economic integration and transport connectivity, especially
through its geographical position as a bridge between Europe and Asia.
Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan is also one of the founding members and has benefited
from economic cooperation and development initiatives under the SCO. It also
receives assistance in responding to security challenges such as counter-terrorism.
Tajikistan: A founding member, Tajikistan has benefited from the organization's
efforts to address regional security concerns and participates in various economic
cooperation projects to promote development.
Uzbekistan: Since rejoining her SCO in 2001, Uzbekistan has been actively
involved in regional economic development and security efforts, with a focus on
promoting stability in Central Asia.
India: India In 2017 she became a full member of SCO. As one of the region's
largest economies, India participates in a variety of intra-organizational economic
and trade initiatives, as well as combating terrorism.
Pakistan: Pakistan also joined SCO as a full member in 2017. It participates in
regional economic cooperation projects and cooperates with other member states
on security and counter-terrorism issues.

Observer states:
Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia hold observer status in the SCO. These
countries actively participate in discussions but do not have voting rights on major
decisions.
Dialogue Partners:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey have dialogue
partner status with the SCO. These countries engage in discussions and certain
cooperative activities but are not formal members.

Membership criteria:
The criteria for membership are as follows:
Geography: The prospective member state must be located in the Asian continent.
Political Will: The country seeking membership must express a desire to join the
SCO and formally apply for membership.
Regional Influence: The applicant country should have a significant impact on
regional and international affairs.
Security Cooperation: The candidate state must demonstrate a commitment to
maintaining regional security and stability, and willingness to cooperate with other
member states in security-related matters.
Economic Cooperation: The prospective member should be willing to enhance
economic cooperation and promote trade and investment within the region.
Observership Status: Before becoming a full member, the country may be
granted observer status to participate in SCO meetings and activities as an
observer.

Main purposes of SCO:

The main purpose of SCO are:
1. Enhancing regional security and stability through cooperation on
counter terrorism, border control and intelligence sharing.

2. Facilitating economic and trade cooperation among member states to

foster mutual development and prosperity.
3. Promoting cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between
different civilisations and cultures in the region.

4. Addressing regional challenges and issues through diplomatic means

and dialogue.

5. Strengthening cooperation in areas such as energy, transportation and

environmental protection.