2. This is part of the ‘Bishkek Declaration’ adopted by India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, China, Belarus and the Central Asian countries in the SCO grouping. The declaration is important since India has always maintained that Pakistan is responsible for cross-border terrorism in the country.
3. On terrorism, the joint declaration stated: “Member States, reaffirming their firm commitment to combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, emphasise the inadmissibility of attempts to exploit terrorist, separatist, and extremist groups for selfish purposes. They recognize the leading role of sovereign states and their competent authorities in countering terrorist and extremist threats.”
4. “Member states consider attempts to discredit government bodies and structures of SCO member states unacceptable. They emphasize that such actions are contrary to international law and undermine the principles of sovereign equality of states and non-interference in internal affairs enshrined in the UN Charter.”
5. “Member States strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, emphasize that ‘double standards’ in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable, and call on the international community to combat terrorism, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, with the UN playing a central role by fully implementing relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in accordance with the UN Charter and the principles of international law, in order to jointly combat all terrorist organizations,” the declaration said.
6. On the war between US-Israel and Iran, which has been continuing for more than six months now, the Bishkek Declaration said: “Member states express deep concern over developments in the Middle East and around Iran.
7. “They reiterate the SCO’s previously stated position condemning military strikes on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which have resulted in numerous civilian casualties and significant damage to the country’s economy.”
8. “Such actions violate the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter and create serious risks to international peace, security and stability,” it said.
9. This is important since India has strong ties with Israel, and the criticism of the US and Israel is not the norm for Delhi.
10. “Member States express their sincere condolences to the people and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the tragic death of Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and to the families of the victims,” it said.
11. It also said, “Member States, reaffirming their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, advocate a resolution to the conflict solely through political and diplomatic means. In this regard, they welcome all efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation in the region.”
12. With the US and other western countries looking at the SCO grouping with suspicion and apprehension, the Bishkek Declaration said the “SCO is not a military-political bloc and is not directed against other states or international organizations. The SCO operates on the basis of openness, non-interference, equality and mutual respect”.
13. In the context of the geopolitical environment where two wars — in Ukraine and West Asia — are ongoing, the declaration said: “Member States note that the world has entered an era of profound geopolitical, socioeconomic, and technological change. The international situation remains challenging, driven by ongoing conflicts, energy and food security challenges, global market instability, and climate change.”
14. Both wars have led to energy and food security challenges due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and disruption in the Black Sea, and have impacted the economy of developing countries and the developed world alike. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue in his speech at the SCO.
15. On the West’s criticism of human rights “violations” in China, Russia and Iran among others, the declaration said, “Member States emphasize the indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and recall the universal nature of the obligation to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, oppose the application of “double standards”, particularly in matters of human rights, and oppose interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States.”
16. They said India’s initiatives in SCO were accepted, as the declaration said, “Strengthening scientific, technical and innovative cooperation through active involvement of young people, and through the regular holding of the SCO Young Scientists Forum.” And, another, “Member States will promote the further strengthening of youth cooperation. They noted the contributions of the SCO Young Authors Conference.”
17. The leaders also welcomed the holding of the SCO Civilization Dialogue Forum in the autumn of 2026 in India. Also, keeping in view India being included in the grouping, the SCO amended the Charter to include English as an official and working language of the SCO.
18. The Bishkek Declaration also said that the “SCO presidency will pass to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, where the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO will be convened in 2027”. This will be closely watched by the world as to how India navigates its participation in the grouping.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: What is SCO and how it originated?
1. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation. It represents about 25 percent of global GDP and over 15 percent of international trade.
2. The main objectives of the SCO are:
(i) to promote good relations among member countries, strengthen mutual confidence, make collective efforts to maintain peace, security, and stability in the region, and
(ii) to promote effective cooperation in various fields such as trade and economy, science and technology, culture, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection, etc.
3. The organisation also aims to move towards the establishment of a new, democratic, just, and rational political and economic international order.
4. The origins of SCO lie in the “Shanghai Five” which was formed in 1996, consisting of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
5. With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 into 15 independent countries, there were concerns in the region about extremist religious groups and ethnic tensions coming to the fore. To manage these issues, a grouping was created for cooperation on security matters.
6. Building on this, SCO was established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai as an international organisation, and also included Uzbekistan as a sixth member.
7. The Charter of the SCO was signed at the St. Petersburg Summit in June 2002 and became effective on September 19, 2003. Additionally, in 2006, the SCO announced plans to combat international drug trafficking as a means to finance global terrorism.
8. Today, it consists of 10 member countries- India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, Iran joined in 2023, and Belarus in 2024. SCO currently has two official observer states: Afghanistan and Mongolia. It also has 15 countries (like Nepal, Armenia, Myanmar etc) as dialogue partners.
Post Read Questions
Which of the following statement/s with regard to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is/are correct?
1. SCO currently consists of 11 members including Iran, Belarus and Uzbekistan.
2. The SCO enjoys observer status in the UN general assembly.
3. The official theme of SCO summit 2026 held in Bishkek was “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move”.
4. China and Pakistan did not attend the SCO summit 2026.
Select the answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
Answer: (c)
Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India? (UPSC CSE, 2021)
(Sources: SCO offcial website, SCO declaration: Double standards in fight against terrorism unacceptable, PM Modi at SCO: Dialogue, not battlefield, is way to resolve conflicts, What makes this SCO summit different for India is Iran, UPSC Issue at a Glance | SCO Summit 2025 and India: 4 Key Questions You Must Know for Prelims and Mains)
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, in Bishkek on Tuesday. (Reuters/ANI Video Grab) 
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