The 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit was held at the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31 and September 1, 2026. The summit marked the 25th anniversary of the SCO, which was founded in 2001, and it brought together leaders of the 10 member states, observer representatives, and dialogue partner representatives.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian intergovernmental grouping that began in 2001 as the Shanghai Five process. Its current members are India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.
Summit Chairmanship and Declaration
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov chaired the Council of Heads of State meeting and handed over the rotating chairmanship to Pakistan. The member states signed the Bishkek Declaration and adopted more than 20 strategic decisions and statements during the summit.
Security, Connectivity and Institutional Decisions
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the SECURE vision, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region, and called for coordinated action against terrorism. The SCO leaders approved institutional arrangements for the Universal Centre for Countering Security Challenges and Threats to SCO Member States and the Executive Committee of the SCO Anti-Narcotics Centre.
Important Facts for Exams
- The SCO has 10 member states after the inclusion of Iran and Belarus.
- The SCO was founded in 2001 and is linked to the earlier Shanghai Five mechanism.
- The rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State passes among member states.
- The SCO has separate mechanisms for security cooperation and anti-narcotics coordination.
Tourism, Culture and Bilateral Meeting
The summit declared Lahore in Pakistan as the SCO Tourist and Cultural Capital. The leaders also approved a cooperation programme for a Green Technology Corridor for 2026 to 2030, and Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit.
