The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has a long historical past based on regional cooperation and security issues in Eurasia. Here’s the evolution of SCO to its form today.
Origin as Shanghai Five
The SCO began as the Shanghai Five in 1996, a political grouping established by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. This grouping was initially intended to settle border conflicts and establish military trust among these neighboring states and contribute to regional stability following the breakup of the Soviet Union. The Shanghai Five spent most of its time engaged in confidence-building measures, such as agreements on mutual withdrawal of armed forces and boundary demarcation.
Creation of SCO in 2001
The major change came in June 2001 when Uzbekistan became a member, making the organization bigger than the initial five states. This added one more state to the group and gave rise to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, declared officially in Shanghai. The SCO was founded as a larger Eurasian political, economic, and security organization with objectives not just to settle border conflicts but also to fight terrorism, separatism, and extremism—popularly referred to as the “three evils”—which were emerging dangers in Central Asia during that period. The charter of the organization, signed in Saint Petersburg in 2002 and entering into effect in 2003, enshrined its goals, principles, and working mechanisms.
Widening Security and Economic Partnership
With its establishment, the SCO has aimed at deepening cooperation in the spheres ranging from security, economic growth, and trade to cultural exchanges, technology, and others. Specifically, it created mechanisms for counteracting cross-border challenges and for fostering peaceful cooperation between members. The SCO’s incorporation of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) with its head office in Tashkent is a prime example of such security cooperation efforts. Economic SCO initiatives range from multilateral trade programs to infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing connectivity and development in the region.
Enlargement and Geopolitical Importance
The organization further enlarged in June 2017 with the addition of India and Pakistan as full members, which added to its geopolitical importance. Iran then joined in 2023 and Belarus in 2024, the latter showing the SCO’s growth into a significant regional group covering much of Eurasia and accounting for nearly half of the world’s population. This expansion was aimed at showcasing the SCO as a multilateral platform that is intended to promote regional stability, enhance economic integration, and offer a counterweight to Western influence.
Nutshell
The SCO’s own past shows a transition from a narrow border conflict mechanism to an extensive intergovernmental organization with far-reaching political, economic, and security objectives. It still is a special platform where Eurasian states cooperate to support peace, stability, and development in a vast and varied region.
