SCO: Satrapia

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO, is an intergovernmental mutual-security organisation 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 members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation.

Its activities are:

In June 2010, the SCO approved the procedure of admitting new members, though new members have yet to be admitted. Several states, however, participate as observers, some of whom have expressed interest in becoming full members in the future. Current observers are: India, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan; Belarus and Sri Lanka have the position of Dialogue Partners; Afghanistan, while not an observer, is currently part of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group.

Institutional structures of SCO

The SCO institutions consist of two parts: the meeting mechanism and the permanent organs.

Council of Heads of State

It is the highest SCO organ. Its main functions are: to identify priority areas and basic directions of SCO activities; to determine matters of principle concerning SCO internal set-up and operation; to decide on matters of principle of SCO cooperation with other countries and international organizations; and to study pressing international issues.

Regular sessions of the Council of Heads of State are held once a year in member states alternately according to the Russian alphabetical order of the country names. The host country of the session of the Council of Heads of State assumes the rotating presidency of the organization. Uzbekistanis the current state of presidency.

Council of Heads of Government

Its main functions are: to adopt SCO budgets; to study and determine the principal matters of cooperation in specific areas within the SCO framework, especially in the economic field. Regular sessions of the Council of Heads of Government are held once a year.

Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Its main functions are: to study and resolve major issues of current SCO activities, including preparing for the meeting of the Council of Heads of State, implementing SCO decisions, and holding consultations on international issues. Regular sessions of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs are arranged to take place one month before the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the host country of the meeting of the Council of Heads of State serves as chairman of the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and may conduct external relations on behalf of the SCO.

Conference of Heads of Agencies

Its main function is to study and resolve specific questions of cooperation in specialized areas. At present, the meeting mechanism has been established for attorneys general (procurators general), and ministers of defense, the economy, commerce, transportation and culture as well as heads of law-enforcement, security, emergency and disaster-relief agencies.

Council of National Coordinators

It is a coordinator and management organ of SCO routine activities. It meets at least three times a year. Its chairman is the National Coordinator of the host country of the meeting of the Council of Heads of State and may represent the SCO externally subject to authorization by the chairman of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

Secretariat

As SCO’s standing executive organ, the Secretariat is based in Beijing and will be officially launched in January 2004. Its main functions are: to provide organizational and technical support for SCO activities, to participate in the study and implementation of SCO documents, and to put forward suggestions for SCO annual budget-making. The Executive Secretary is appointed by the Council of Heads of State. Member states take turns according to the Russian alphabetical order of their country names to serve a non-consecutive three-year term. The first Executive Secretary is Mr. Zhang Deguang (Chinese citizen).

Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS)

This is a SCO permanent organ based inTashkent, capital of Uzbekistan. It was officially launched in January 2004. Its main function is to coordinate SCO member activities against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The RATS is composed of the Council and the Executive Committee. The Council, a decision-making and leading body of RATS, is composed of leading officials of the competent authorities of the member states. Director of the Executive Committee, which is RATS’ routine executive body, is appointed by the Council of Heads of State. The first director of the Executive Committee is Casymov. V.T. (Uzbek citizen).

SIPRI Policy Paper on SCO

Alyson J. K. Bailes, Pál Dunay, Pan Guang and Mikhail Troitskiy, The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SIPRI Policy Paper N° 17.

The deeper goals of the SCO include managing potential Sino-Russian tensions or competition, but its overt activities are directed first at transnational threats and, additionally, at economic and infrastructure cooperation. The present study seeks to illuminate the motives and experiences of the SCO’s members – with the help of two chapters contributed by a Russian and a Chinese expert, respectively – and to offer a dispassionate analysis of the organization’s qualities, strengths, weaknesses and effects. The judgements that emerge are mixed but include the recognition that the SCO makes some real impact on the security of the wide territories it covers and that it has real potential for further development.

China’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Strategy

China’s strategy for establishing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is pragmatic and far-sighted. Resolving border issues, trade, trust and mutual security with neighbouring states is geopolitically sound. The SCO has the opportunity to expand its scope, restore political stability to the organization and act on global issues. China’s success in creating a positive public image of the SCO, maintaining stability in Xinjiang, Tibet and member states of the SCO, preserving close ties with Russia and promoting cultural exchange and trade will safeguard China’s leadership of the SCO.