Appendix A: Key Normative Documents of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
- Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – June 15, 2001
- The Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism – June 15, 2001
- Agreement between the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure – June 7, 2002
- Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement between Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure – August 16, 2007
- Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – June 7, 2002
- The Regulations on Observer Status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – April 24, 2004
- Agreement on the Database of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – June 28, 2004
- Concept of Cooperation between SCO Member States in Combating Terrorism, Separatism, and Extremism – June 5, 2005
- Protocol on Establishment of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group between the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – November 4, 2005
- Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – August 16, 2007
- Regulations on the Status of Dialogue Partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – August 8, 2008
- Agreement on the Procedure for Organizing and Conducting Joint Anti-Terrorist Exercises by Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – August 28, 2008
- The Convention on Counter-Terrorism of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – June 16, 2009
Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as “the SCO”, or “Organization”): the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, hereinafter referred to as “the Contracting Parties”;
Bound by historical ties of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation;
Guided by the goals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, universally recognized principles and norms of international law, as well as by the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization of 7 June 2002;
Convinced that strengthening and deepening relations of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation between the Member States of the Organization corresponds to the fundamental interests of their peoples and contributes to peace and development in the SCO space and in the whole world;
Recognizing that globalization processes increase interdependence of States, as a result of which their security and prosperity are becoming inextricably intertwined;
Believing that contemporary challenges and threats to security have a global nature and can only be effectively met through joint efforts and adherence to the agreed principles and interaction mechanisms;
Mindful of the need to respect cultural and civilizational variety of the contemporary world;
Reaffirming their readiness to expand mutually beneficial cooperation between them and with all interested States and international organizations to promote a just and rational world order creating favorable conditions for a sustainable development of the Organization's Member States;
Reaffirming further that this Treaty shall not be directed against any States or organizations, and that the Contracting Parties shall follow the principle of openness to the other countries of the world;
Seeking to make the SCO space a region of peace, cooperation, prosperity and harmony;
Guided by the intention to contribute to more democratic international relations and to the establishment of a new architecture of global security on the basis of equality, mutual respect, mutual trust and benefit, as well as abrogation of a bloc-based and ideological division;
Determined to strengthen friendly relations between the Organization's Member States so that friendship between their peoples is handed down from generation to generation;
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
The Contracting Parties shall develop long-term relations of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation in the areas of mutual interest for the Contracting Parties in accordance with universally recognized principles and norms of international law.
Article 2
The Contracting Parties shall settle differences between them peacefully, using, as a guidance, the Charter of the United Nations and universally recognized principles and norms of international law, as well as the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization of 7 June 2002.
Article 3
The Contracting Parties shall respect each other's right to choose ways of political, economic, social and cultural development, taking into account the historical background and national peculiarities of each State.
Article 4
The Contracting Parties, respecting principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity, shall take measures to prevent on their territories any activity incompatible with these principles.
The Contracting Parties shall not participate in alliances or organizations directed against other Contracting Parties and shall not support any actions hostile to other Contracting Parties.
Article 5
The Contracting Parties shall respect the principle of inviolability of borders and make active efforts to build confidence in border regions in the military sphere, determined to make the borders with each other borders of eternal peace and friendship.
Article 6
In case of a situation threatening its security, a Contracting Party may hold consultations within the Organization with other Contracting Parties to provide an adequate response to the situation that emerged.
Article 7
The Contracting Parties shall make efforts within the framework of the SCO to maintain and strengthen international peace and security, and shall promote coordination and cooperation in such areas as safeguarding and strengthening the role of the United Nations, maintaining global and
regional stability, advancing international arms control process, preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means; they shall also hold regular consultations on those issues.
Article 8
The Contracting Parties, in accordance with their national legislations and on the basis of observing generally recognized principles and norms of international law, international treaties, to which they are parties, shall actively develop cooperation to counteract terrorism, separatism and extremism; illegal trafficking in drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors and arms; other forms of transnational criminal activity; as well as illegal migration.
The Contracting Parties, in accordance with their national legislations and on the basis of international treaties, to which they are parties, shall build up their interaction in searching, apprehending, extraditing and transferring persons suspected of, charged with or sentenced for committing crimes related to terrorist, separatist, extremist activities or other crimes.
The Contracting Parties shall develop cooperation in the field of state border security and customs control, regulation of labor migration, and provision of financial and information security.
Article 9
The Contracting Parties shall promote contacts and cooperation between law enforcement and judicial authorities of the Contracting Parties.
Article 10
The Contracting Parties shall develop various forms of cooperation between their Defense Ministries.
Article 11
The Contracting Parties shall develop cooperation in such fields as promoting the implementation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with their international obligations and national legislations.
The Contracting Parties in accordance with their international obligations as well as national legislations, shall guarantee in their territories the observance of legitimate rights and interests of citizens of the other Contracting Parties residing in their territories, and shall facilitate the provision of necessary mutual legal assistance.
Article 12
The Contracting Parties shall recognize and protect each other's legitimate rights and interests relative to the property possessed by a Contracting Party in the territory of another Contracting Party.
Article 13
The Contracting Parties shall strengthen economic cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit and shall create favorable conditions for developing trade, encouraging investments and exchanging technologies within the framework of the SCO.
The Contracting Parties shall facilitate economic activities including the provision of legal conditions for activities, in their territories, of natural and legal persons of other Contracting Parties, who are engaged in a legal economic activity, as well as the protection in their territory of legitimate rights and interests of such natural and legal persons.
Article 14
The Contracting Parties shall develop cooperation in international financial institutions, economic organizations and fora, of which they are members, and shall facilitate membership of other Contracting Parties in those organizations in accordance with the statutory provisions of such institutions, organizations and fora.
Article 15
The Contracting Parties shall develop cooperation in the sphere of industry, agriculture, finance, energy, transport, science and technology, innovation, information, telecommunications, air space, and other spheres of mutual interest to them and shall encourage various forms of regional projects.
Article 16
The Contracting Parties shall take all possible measures to promote cooperation in the legal sphere; hold regular exchanges of information on the legislation under development, adopted or in force; and cooperate in the development of international legal instruments.
The Contracting Parties shall encourage contacts and cooperation between their legislative authorities and their representatives.
Article 17
The Contracting Parties shall develop cooperation in providing environmental protection, ecological security and sound environmental management and shall take necessary measures to develop and implement special programs and projects in these fields.
Article 18
The Contracting Parties shall render mutual support and assistance in preventing natural and technogenic emergencies and mitigating consequences thereof.
Article 19
The Contracting Parties shall develop mutual exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture, art, education, science, technologies, health, tourism, sport and other social and humanitarian spheres.
The Contracting Parties shall mutually promote and support direct links between cultural, educational, scientific and research institutions; joint scientific and research programs and projects; as well as cooperation in training, exchange of students, scientists and specialists.
The Contracting Parties shall actively contribute to creating favorable conditions for studying the languages and cultures of other Contracting Parties.
Article 20
This Treaty shall not affect the rights and obligations of the Contracting Parties under other international treaties to which they are parties.
Article 21
To implement this Treaty, the Contracting Parties may conclude international agreements in specific fields of mutual interest.
Article 22
Disputes related to the interpretation or implementation of the provisions of this Treaty shall be settled through consultations and negotiations between the Contracting Parties.
Article 23
This Treaty shall be subject to ratification by the Contracting Parties -Signatories to it.
This Treaty shall be indefinite and shall enter into force from the date of deposit of the last instrument of ratification to the Depositary.
This Treaty shall remain in force for any Contracting Party while it is a Member State of the Organization. Participation of a Contracting Party in this Treaty shall cease automatically from the date of the termination of its membership in the SCO.
Upon entry into force of this Treaty, it shall be open for accession by any State that has become a member of the Organization. For the accessing State this Treaty shall enter into force on the thirtieth day from the date of deposit of the relevant instrument of accession to the Depositary.
Article 24
This Treaty may be amended and supplemented by separate protocols as agreed upon by all the Contracting Parties.
Article 25
The original copy of this Treaty shall be deposited with the Depositary. The Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization shall be the Depositary of this Treaty and shall transmit to the Contracting Parties certified copies thereof within fifteen days from the date of its signature.
Article 26
This Treaty shall be subject to registration with the United Nations Secretariat in accordance with Article 102 of the UN Charter.
Done in the city of Bishkek on 16 August 2007 in one copy in the Russian and Chinese languages, both texts being equally authentic.
SCO, Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Between the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, August 16, 2007, http://www.sectsco.org/EN/show.asp?id=71.
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