The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance formed on April 26, 1996 in Shanghai, China, by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The SCO is the largest regional organization in the world in terms of geographical coverage and population, covering three-fifths of the Eurasian continent and nearly half of the world’s population.

Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the Organization in 2001, the SCO Charter was signed in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003. On June 9, 2017, with India and Pakistan joining the organization, its membership increased to nine. Recently, on September 17, 2021, Iran was accepted as an official member of this organization. In addition to the ten main members mentioned, Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka are recognized as dialogue partners, and Mongolia, Afghanistan and Belarus are recognized as observer members of the agreement. However, at the 21st summit, Tajikistan, as the host country, did not agree to the presence of the Taliban representative at the Shanghai summit.

Objectives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The SCO is often referred to as an anti-Western organization, and some even call it “anti-NATO.” Many political analysts believe that the SCO is a symbol of the shift in the dynamics of world power from the United States and Western countries to the Eastern powers. One of the important goals of the SCO is to safeguard the political interests of member countries and to promote security, economic and trade cooperation between them; For this reason, military exercises are regularly held for the member countries of this organization in order to promote cooperation and coordination against terrorism and other foreign threats and to maintain regional peace and stability.

Iran’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Iran’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization reflects Tehran’s efforts to increase its international presence by expanding bilateral and multilateral relations with Russia, China and Central Asian countries. Joining the SCO has been a long-standing goal for Tehran, not only reflecting Iran’s political approach to the Middle East, but also the expansion of the Islamic Republic’s international relations with the East. Full membership is seen as a means for Tehran to strengthen these regional ties. The Iranian government has repeatedly identified itself as a desirable partner for members of the agreement, emphasizing its efforts to prevent drug trafficking, support refugees, and more.

Such efforts are exacerbated by Tehran’s ongoing struggle against the United States; Nor can it be ignored that membership strengthens Iran’s role in managing regional security. Iran can now participate in SCO decisions, including the preparation and signing of documents; However, it does not appear that Iran intends to make fundamental changes in the status of this organization.

SCO Front to the Taliban

Afghanistan is a watchdog in the organization. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization allows observer countries to attend regular meetings of ministers, working groups and the structure of counterterrorism zones. In 2017, the organization decided to revive the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, which reflects the organization’s willingness to play a role in Afghan politics and trade.

However, as in the past, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s differing policies have limited the organization in advancing and making significant strides in dealing with Taliban rule. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, for example, have conducted conflicting studies of scientific groups. Tajikistan opposed the new government, but Uzbekistan was more cautious and accommodating. Despite these differences, members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are important because of their security concerns in the region. Given the current situation, it seems that discussions will continue for a long time to make a definite decision to appoint this organization to the new government of Afghanistan.

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