Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

of June 7, 2002

The Republic of Kazakhstan, People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan which are the founder states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (which is referred to as further SCO or the Organization)

based on historically developed bonds of their people;

aiming at further deepening of full cooperation;

wishing common efforts to make contribution to strengthening of the world, safety and stability in the region in the conditions of development of processes of political multipolarity, economic and information globalization;

being convinced that creation of SCO promotes more effective joint use of the opening opportunities and opposition to new challenges and threats;

considering that interaction within SCO promotes disclosure of huge potential of neighborliness, unification and cooperation between the states and their people;

proceeding from (2001) of spirit of mutual trust, mutual advantage, equality, mutual consultations, respect for variety of cultures which affirmed at meeting of heads of six states as Shanghai and aspiration to joint development;

noting that respect for the principles stated in the Agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and People's Republic of China on enforcement of trust in military area around border of April 26, 1996 and in the Agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and People's Republic of China on mutual reducing armed forces around border of April 24, 1997 and also in the documents signed during the summits of heads of the Republic of Kazakhstan, People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan during the period from 1998 to 2001 made important contribution to case of peacekeeping, safety and stability in the region and around the world;

confirming the commitment to the purposes and the principles of Articles of organization of the United Nations, to other conventional principles and rules of international law concerning maintenance of international peace, safety and development good-neighbourhood and friendship and also cooperation between the states;

being guided by provisions of the Declaration on creation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization of June 15, 2001;

agreed about the following:

Article 1 of the Purpose and task

Main objectives and tasks of SCO are:

strengthening between state members of mutual trust, friendship and neighborliness;

development of multi-profile cooperation for the purpose of maintenance and strengthening of the world, safety and stability in the region, assistance to creation of new democratic, fair and rational political and economic international procedure;

joint counteraction to terrorism, separatism and extremism in all of them manifestations, fight against drug trafficking and weapon, other types of transnational criminal activities, and also illegal migration;

encouragement of effective regional cooperation in political, trade and economic, defense, law-enforcement, nature protection, cultural, scientific and technical, educational, energy, transport, credit and financial and other areas, of common interest;

assistance to the comprehensive and balanced economic growth, social and cultural development in the region by means of collateral actions on the basis of equal partnership for the purpose of steady increase in level and improvement of living conditions of the people of state members;

coordination of approaches in case of integration into world economy;

assistance to providing the rights and fundamental freedoms of the person according to the international obligations of state members and their national legal system;

maintenance and development of the relations with other states and international organizations;

interaction in prevention of the international conflicts and their peaceful settlement;

joint finding solutions to problems which will arise in the 21st century.

Article 2 Principles

State members of SCO adhere to the following principles:

mutual respect of sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of the states and inviolability of frontiers, non-aggression, non-interference to internal affairs, nonuses of force or threats of force in the international relations, refusal of unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas;

equality of all state members, search of the joint points of view on the basis of mutual understanding and respect of opinions of each of them;

step-by-step implementation of collateral actions in spheres of general interest;

peaceful resolution of disagreements between state members;

not orientations of SCO against other states and the international organizations;

non-admissions of any illegal actions directed against interests of SCO;

fair accomplishment of the obligations following from this Charter and other documents accepted within SCO.

Article 3 of the Direction of cooperation

The main directions of cooperation within SCO are:

peacekeeping and strengthening of safety and trust in the region;

search of the general points of view in foreign policy questions, of common interest, including in the international organizations and at the international forums;

development and implementation of actions on joint counteraction to terrorism, separatism and extremism, drug trafficking and weapon, to other types of transnational criminal activities, and also illegal migration;

coordination of efforts on questions of disarmament and arms control;

support and encouragement of regional economic cooperation in different forms, assistance to creating favorable conditions for trade and investments for the purpose of gradual implementation of free movement of goods, the capitals, services and technologies;

effective use of the available infrastructure in the field of transport and communications, enhancement of transit potential of state members, development of power systems;

ensuring rational environmental management, including use of water resources in the region, implementation of joint special nature protection programs and projects;

rendering mutual aid in the prevention of emergency situations of natural and technogenic nature and liquidation of their effects;

exchange of legal information for the benefit of development of cooperation within SCO;

expansion of interaction in science and technology, educations, health cares, cultures, sport and tourism.

State members of SCO can broaden spheres of cooperation by mutual consent.

Article 4 of Organa

1. For accomplishment of the purposes and tasks of this Charter within the Organization are effective:

Council of heads of states;

Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers);

Council of Foreign Ministers;

Meetings of heads of the ministries and/or departments;

Council of national coordinators;

Regional anti-terrorist structure;

Secretariat.

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