What It Is
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization founded in 2001, dominated by China and Russia, with 10 member states including India, Pakistan, and Iran. The SCO evolved from the Shanghai Five (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), founded in 1996 to resolve post-Soviet border disputes. Uzbekistan joined in 2001 to formalize the SCO. India and Pakistan acceded in 2017, Iran in 2023, Belarus in 2024.
Geographic Reach and Heterogeneity
The expansion has made the SCO geographically vast but politically heterogeneous. India and Pakistan are SCO members despite Kashmir tensions; India and China have ongoing border disputes; Iran and most Central Asian members have different security priorities. The heterogeneity limits collective action.
The Three Evils Framework
The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent coordinates intelligence sharing on the 'three evils' of terrorism, separatism, and extremism — a critics argue is used to suppress legitimate dissent. The three evils framing is the SCO's most operationalized security cooperation, with shared databases and joint exercises.
Strategic Positioning
SCO summit declarations consistently call for a 'multipolar world order' and reformed global governance, positioning the as a counterweight to Western-led institutions. The 2022 Samarkand Summit and 2023 New Delhi Summit emphasized Eurasian connectivity and alternative financial architectures.
The SCO does not have a formal mutual-defense clause, distinguishing it from and CSTO. Its security work is primarily on counter-terrorism, border management, and the three evils — not .
Why It Matters
The SCO is the largest regional organization by population (~3.5 billion across its members) and by territory. Its development represents a sustained effort by China and Russia to build Eurasian institutions outside the Western-led international order.
Common Misconceptions
The SCO is sometimes described as an anti-NATO. It is not — it has no mutual-defense clause and includes members (India) that are partners with NATO members. The SCO is closer to a political-economic coordination forum than a military alliance.
Real-World Examples
The 2024 Astana Summit admitted Belarus as a full member and continued SCO consolidation. The 2023 Iranian accession added a major Middle Eastern member with adversarial relations with the West, deepening the bloc's anti-Western tilt. The annual Peace Mission exercises demonstrate the SCO's counter-terrorism cooperation in practice.
Example
The SCO Astana summit (July 2024) admitted Belarus as a full member, expanding the bloc to 10 — making it geographically the largest regional organization by territory.