Shanghai Cooperation Organization

(The Belt and Road Initiative 2019)

Updated:2019-04-17 | By:China.org.cn

Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an inter-governmental organization comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001.

The SCO's mission is to build friendship and trust among member states, encourage effective cooperation in political, economic, trade, cultural and other areas, safeguard regional peace and stability, and promote a new international political and economic order that is fair and rational.

Between themselves the SCO members have developed the "Shanghai Spirit," which is based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity, and pursuit of common prosperity. Externally they follow the principle of openness and non-alignment, and their strategies and policies are not directed against any third party or any other region.

The top decision-making body of the SCO is the Council of Heads of State, which meets once a year to decide on major issues. Its Council of Heads of Government also meets once a year to discuss priorities and issues of multilateral cooperation. Its two permanent bodies are: the Secretariat in Beijing (China) and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent (Uzbekistan).

Six states have observer status with the SCO: Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan; and there are six dialogue partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

The Council of Heads of State held its 18th meeting in China's Qingdao on June 9-10, 2018. President Xi Jinping chaired the meeting and attended several activities. The participants agreed to reinforce cooperation to build a global community of shared future, and achieved important progress regarding organization development, security, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, and foreign relations.

上海合作组织

上海合作组织(简称“上合组织”)是由中国、俄罗斯、哈萨克斯坦、吉尔吉斯斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、乌兹别克斯坦于2001年6月15日在上海宣布成立的永久性政府间国际组织。上合组织旨在加强成员国间的友好与信任,鼓励成员国在政治、经贸、文化等领域的有效合作,致力于共同维护地区和平与稳定,推动建立公正合理的国际政治经济新秩序。上合组织对内遵循“互信、互利、平等、协商,尊重多样文明、谋求共同发展”的“上海精神”,对外奉行不结盟、不针对其他国家和地区及开放原则。上合组织最高决策机构是成员国元首理事会, 该会议每年举行一次,决定本组织所有重要问题。政府首脑理事会每年举行一次,讨论本组织框架下多边合作和优先领域的战略。上合组织有两个常设机构,分别是设在北京的上合组织秘书处和设在塔什干的上合组织地区反恐怖机构执行委员会。除6个成员国外,目前上合组织还包括阿富汗、白俄罗斯、印度、伊朗、蒙古、巴基斯坦6个观察员国,以及阿塞拜疆、亚美尼亚、柬埔寨、尼泊尔、土耳其、斯里兰卡 6个对话伙伴。2018年6月9日至10日,上海合作组织成员国元首理事会第十八次会议在山东省青岛市举行,中国国家主席习近平主持会议并出席相关活动。青岛峰会上,各方一致同意要为构建命运共同体加强各方面合作,并在组织发展、安全合作、经济合作、人文合作、对外交往等领域取得重要成果。