Over the past 23 years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has evolved from a regional project focused on solving border issues to a multifaceted international organization. It effectively addresses diverse security threats, promotes stability and fosters cooperation among member states to ensure peace and security in the Eurasian region.

The SCO’s continuous expansion — Iran joined the group last year and Belarus is completing its accession this year — has extended its regional boundaries, making it a truly international entity.

This year, Kazakhstan holds the SCO chairmanship. As one of the founding countries, it has consistently supported the “Shanghai Spirit” and emphasized the SCO’s growing influence and status since the group’s inception on June 15, 2001.

Kazakhstan’s practical approach focuses on enhancing mutually beneficial trade as well as economic and technological cooperation. Since assuming the SCO chairmanship in July last year, it has conducted over 90 events and meetings, including energy, digital and tourism forums. More than 30 documents have also been developed in various cooperation fields.

Adhering to the principle of “hot economy, cold politics”, Kazakhstan has proposed major initiatives such as the creation of an SCO investment fund and an economic preferences database.

Security remains a strong area of the SCO. Amid global geopolitical upheavals, where old rules no longer apply and new ones have yet to be established, the world finds itself in a state of distrust and dysfunction, with a “war of all against all” mentality. In this context, the SCO and its main security body — the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, or RATS — play an increasingly important role. This year, the RATS council approved a counterterrorism program for 2025-27.

For many years, SCO countries have successfully worked in the security sector, robustly countering the three evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism. Last fall, Kyrgyzstan hosted the first-ever joint anti-terrorist exercises between the SCO and the Commonwealth of Independent States, with representatives from 11 countries participating, including Armenia, Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

In my view, China’s responsibilities in the field of security within the SCO are expanding. Alongside cooperation among security forces and defense departments, there is an increasing collaboration in law enforcement. China’s role is becoming more active in ensuring security and political stability in SCO member states. Given the extraterritorial nature of modern threats, there is a growing need to enhance constructive interaction among partner countries.

As a responsible global power, China demonstrates to the world through the SCO’s success that there is always room for compromise. By focusing on development and cooperation rather than conflicts and disputes, greater prosperity can be achieved, benefiting all parties involved.

Today, the SCO serves as a prototype and model for a new, fairer mechanism of international interaction. Essentially, China is successfully testing its global concept of a community with a shared future for mankind within the SCO framework, proving its feasibility in practice. The SCO has become a platform where states with different political traditions and diplomatic practices meet, negotiate and establish connections.

In security studies, discursive political practices are of great importance. Threat assessment is a matter of political choice. Similarly, SCO countries have made their choice — cooperation over confrontation, dialogue over bloc divide, and economic interaction over sanctions and trade wars.

SCO participants and observers share an understanding of common, indivisible security and the goal of strengthened partnership to maintain peace. This has led to the development of the “SCO style” — a mode of behavior where states engage within a cooperative framework.

Even amid conflicts, SCO countries find common ground and create space for dialogue. In the realm of security, having a “conflict-free zone “is crucial, and the SCO has emerged as such a platform.

Today, despite increasing conflicts globally and the complex nature of global challenges, the SCO is utilizing every opportunity for consolidation and active international positioning. Amid the crisis of universal multilateral institutions and the fragmentation of the global order, the SCO’s significance is growing.

Regarding the trend of regionalization, it is essential to note that the voice of Central Asia within the SCO holds great importance. Central Asia is the heart of the group, and connects various partners into a cohesive whole. Moreover, due to the constructive and nonaligned nature of the SCO, the role and potential of middle powers, such as Kazakhstan, are growing within the group.

It is not surprising that a diverse range of countries, from Saudi Arabia to Macedonia and Serbia, are interested in partnering with the SCO, and see it as a convenient platform for dialogue and an emerging center of power. The SCO attracts them with its stability, absence of double standards, adherence to principles of international law, and cultural diversity.

The SCO summit in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on July 3 and 4 will be an event of immense geopolitical significance. It is expected that high-level representatives from all SCO partner states and partner organizations will attend the summit. The broadest possible engagement of interested parties will underscore the strategic importance and influence of the SCO in the contemporary international environment.

The author is chief expert at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Organisational structure

As of 2020, the Council of Heads of State was the top decision-making body in the SCO, meeting at the annual SCO summits in one of the member states’ capital cities. Because of their government structure, the prime ministers of the parliamentary democracies of India and Pakistan attend the SCO Council of Heads of State summits, as their responsibilities are similar to the presidents of other SCO nations.^[19]

As of the 4 July 2023 meeting, the Council of Heads of State consists of:^[20]

• Xi Jinping (China)
• Narendra Modi (India)
• Mohammad Mokhber (Iran)
• Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Kazakhstan)
• Sadyr Japarov (Kyrgyzstan)
• Shehbaz Sharif (Pakistan)
• Vladimir Putin (Russia)
• Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan)
• Shavkat Mirziyoyev (Uzbekistan)

The Council of Heads of Government is the second-highest council in the organisation. This council also holds annual summits, at which time members discuss issues of multilateral cooperation and approves the organisation’s budget.^[21] As of the 1 November 2022 meeting, Council of Heads of Government consists of:^[22]

• Li Qiang (China)
• Narendra Modi (India) (usually sends a deputy, such as EAM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the 2021 summit)^[23]
• Alihan Smaiylov (Kazakhstan)
• Akylbek Japarov (Kyrgyzstan)
• Shehbaz Sharif (Pakistan) (usually sends a deputy, such as Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Andleeb Abbas at the 2020 summit)^[19]
• Mikhail Mishustin (Russia)
• Qohir Rasulzoda (Tajikistan)
• Abdulla Aripov (Uzbekistan)

As of 2007, the Council of Foreign Ministers also held regular meetings, where they discussed the current international situation and interaction with other international organisations.^[24] As of 2021, the Council of National Coordinators coordinated the multilateral cooperation of member states within the framework of the SCO’s charter.^[25]

Directors of SCO RATS Executive Committee

Years in office	Name
15 June 2004 – 2006	Vyacheslav Kasymov
2007–2009	Myrzakan Subanov
2010–2012	Dzhenisbek Dzhumanbekov [ru]
2013–2015	Zhang Xinfeng
2016–2018	Yevgeniy Sysoev [ru]
2019–2021	Jumakhon Giyosov
2022–present	Ruslan Mirzaev

Heads of SCO Secretariat

Years in office	Name
Executive Secretary
15 January 2004 – 2006	Zhang Deguang
Secretaries-General
2007–2009	Bolat Nurgaliyev
2010–2012	Muratbek Imanaliyev
2013–2015	Dmitry Mezentsev
2016–2018	Rashid Alimov
2019–2021	Vladimir Norov
2022–present	Zhang Ming

The Secretariat of the SCO, headquartered in Beijing, China, is the primary executive body of the organisation. It serves to implement organisational decisions and decrees, drafts proposed documents (such as declarations and agendas), function as a document depository for the organisation, arranges specific activities within the SCO framework, and promotes and disseminates information about the SCO. The SCO Secretary-General is elected to a three-year term.^[26] Zhang Ming of China became the current Secretary-General on 1 January 2022.^[26]

The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Executive Committee, headquartered 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 Director of SCO RATS Executive Committee is elected to a three-year term. Ruslan Mirzaev of Uzbekistan became the current Director on 1 January 2022. Each member state also sends a permanent representative to RATS.^[27]