Kazakhstan (Astana) hosts 24th Summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Posted 05 Jul 2024

2 min read

Key outcomes of the summit

Belarus becomes 10th Member to join SCO.
Adopted Astana Declaration, Cooperation Program to Counter Terrorism, Separatism, and Extremism for 2025-2027, Anti-Drug Strategy for 2024−2029, SCO Development Strategy until 2035.
- Under Astana Declaration, member states underscored SCO’s role in bolstering global peace, and shaping a new democratic and economic order.
Approved Economic Development Strategy’s Action Plan until 2030 and strategies for energy cooperation till 2030.
SCO member states endorsed the Initiative ‘On World Unity for a Just Peace, Harmony and Development’ (proposed by Kazakhstan), which aims to create multipolar world order with central coordinating role of UN.

Resources: Help India in pursuing Connect Central Asia policy and access mineral resources (Uranium reserves in Kazakhstan).
Counter-terrorism: SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) provides access to key information and intelligence on movements of terrorists and drug-trafficking.
Energy Security: Region is home to 4% of world’s natural gas reserves and approximately 3% of oil reserves. SCO could also facilitate TAPI pipeline.

Continued perception of SCO being an anti-west forum in Western nations.
Conflict among member nations e.g. India-Pakistan.
Limited engagement with observer states, dialogue partners and other regional and international organizations.

Genesis: It is a permanent intergovernmental international organization founded in Shanghai in 2001 by Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Current Members: India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan and Belarus. While Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status.
Official language: Russian and Chinese.
Goal: Strengthening mutual trust, friendship and neighbourly relations among member states; Promoting effective cooperation in political, trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural spheres etc.