SCO member countries: Who they are and what they do

Established almost two decades back, the SCO or Shanghai Cooperation Organization is one of the most powerful regional platforms, fostering conflict-free collaboration between its member countries. With its expanding agenda and membership opportunities, it plays an imminent role in shaping the world’s policies. To top it off, it has transformed into a global forum for security and economics. 

The organization’s membership blurs the line between nations that control vast natural resource reserves, operate major trade routes, and has a significant political influence over the entire Eurasia. Owing to this, learning the SCO member countries is imperative. This knowledge will help analyze global power dynamics, emerging partnership opportunities, and the collective strategies that impact Asia and beyond. 

What is the SCO?

Launched in 2001 in Shanghai, the SCO is a regional intergovernmental organization having member countries from both Europe and Asia. Its primary objective is to promote stability, security, and cooperation across Eurasia while empowering nations in this dynamically shifting political landscape. 

Goals of the SCO

1. Fostering economic collaboration and connectivity, including trade routes and energy projects
2. Strengthening regional security, peace, and stability
3. Promoting political trust and diplomatic cooperation amongst all the SCO member countries
4. Countering terrorism, extremism, and separatism through coordinated efforts and strategies
5. Encouraging cultural, educational, and people-to-people exchanges
6. Enhancing joint responses to global challenges and hiccups like cybercrimes and climate changes

Areas of focus

The SCO member countries focus on three primary areas to fulfil the forum’s mission and vision. These are:

1. Security: Drafting coordinated strategies to counterattack terrorism, cross-border threats, and extremism while ensuring stability and collective defense infrastructures across the Eurasian region.
2. Economic cooperation: Facilitating trades, energy collaboration, and infrastructure projects to foster prosperity and development amongst all the member nations.
3. Cultural exchange: Strengthening ties through arts, education, sports, and cultural programs while promoting unity and mutual understanding.

SCO member countries in 2025

Objectives of SCO member countries

Regional security

Instability and cross-border terrorism have stalled peace and stability in most European and Asian countries. This is where the SCO comes to play, unifying all the member nations to counterbalance these challenges using collective defense. 

1. Joint anti-terror exercises help strengthen battle readiness
2. Intelligence sharing eliminates the risks of extremism
3. Border coordination helps reduce conflicts and disputes

Energy cooperation

Uneven resource distribution and skyrocketing energy demands have created too much dependencies and paved the road for increasing tension. That’s why the SCO member countries work collectively to stabilize the energy market across Eurasia. Here’s how. 

1. Fosters shared access to oil and natural gas reserves
2. Encourages the development plans for transnational energy pipelines
3. Deepens the collaboration on renewable energy projects

Economic integration

Uneven growth and fragmented markets have put numerous restrictions on regional prosperity. The SCO members act diligently to foster stronger economic ties to unlock new opportunities for shared development. For instance:

1. They harmonize economic policies for smoother trades.
2. The member nations encourage cross-border investments.
3. SCO supports innovation hubs and digital economy.

Trade connectivity

Commerce has been limited until now due to trade barriers and poor infrastructures. This is where the SCO member countries play a huge role by:

1. Expanding regional transport corridors
2. Supporting Belt and Road Initiative projects
3. Simplifying custom procedures for cross-border trades

Educational collaboration

Lack of access to shared knowledge and innovation hubs has significantly weakened the youth development. The SCO addresses this issue by promoting collaborated education and research systems across Eurasia. For instance, they arrange exchange programs for scholars and students and foster academic partnerships. Cross-cultural learning is encouraged throughout by providing scholarships and establishing joint research centers.

Environmental action

The increasing climate risks and rising pollution levels have threatened both sustainability and regional health. That’s why the SCO member countries have incorporated environmental protection in their agency. Here’s how.

1. Launching joint climate monitoring initiatives
2. Working on cooperative projects for water management
3. Promoting green technologies and eco-tourism

Sovereignty protection

Territorial disputes and external interferences often undermine regional stability. So, it is the responsibility of SCO to safeguard sovereignty through cooperation and mutual respect.

1. Non-interference in domestic affairs
2. Collective stance against unilateral sanctions
3. Respect for territorial integrity

Multipolar order

The SCO member countries work together, hand in hand, to build a multipolar world with fairness and unbiased thinking. Here’s how.

1. Promoting balanced global governance
2. Strengthening partnerships with other regional organizations
3. Enhancing South-South cooperation

What do SCO member countries do together?

Joint Military exercises

The SCO member countries organize drills and other forms of exercises frequently to improve coordination against shared threats. These include terrorism, border violations, and insurgency. With these joint exercises, the organization aims to build trust, interoperability, and war readiness. The two most noteworthy missions undertaken so far are:

1. Peace Mission 2021: A joint anti-terrorism exercise
2. Regional Anti-Terror Structure (RATS): To promote intelligence sharing

Economic cooperation

Uneven development, isolation, and infrastructure deficits have threatened prosperity and growth in Eurasia since a long time. That’s why the SCO has taken it upon itself to undertake different projects that will enhance energy, trade, and industrial capacities. The primary aim here is to create opportunities for markets, job growth, and regional development. Some of the best initiatives so far to promote economic cooperation are:

1. SCO Interbank Consortium
2. Amur Gas Chemical Complex
3. China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline

Cultural exchanges

Diverse religions, languages, and histories have encouraged the SCO member countries to promote soft diplomacy. The primary goal is to reduce misunderstandings and encourage mutual understanding on a global platform. Several programs have been launched so far to unify people across borders, like:

1. Restoration of historic heritage sites like Islamic schools and Khiva mosques
2. SCO Summer Youth Gala Week for young people’s cultural tourism exchange programs
3. Festival of Cultural and Tourism Exchanges of SCO members in Qingdao

Challenges within the SCO

India-Pakistan relations

Frequent border tensions between Pakistan and India along with historical disputes over Kashmir have strained the unity amongst the SCO member countries. The disagreements have often overshadowed cooperative agendas of the organization, limiting the progress of joint initiatives. To top it off, these have also complicated trust-building amongst other members preferring collective growth and stability.

Varying economic interests

The SCO members include both major consumer markets like China and India and energy exporters like Kazakhstan and Russia. As the priorities are contrast to one another, clashes and conflicts have become unavoidable. As a result, member nations find it extremely difficult to align investment, trade, and resource-sharing strategies, thereby declining the pace of regional economic integration.

Decision-making hurdles

A consensus-based decision-making system is followed across the entire SCO forum, which is why every member needs to provide their approval before any new policy is introduced. While it was done to ensure inclusivity and fairness, this often introduces delays in responses to projects and crisis.  

Balancing political systems

This regional organization brings together countries with varying political infrastructures. For example, India is a democratic nation while Russia and China follow a hybrid or an authoritarian regime. Owing to the differences in political models, creation of shared policies, especially on civil liberties, human rights, and governance norms have become way too complicated.

SCO Vs BRICS

Impact of SCO on global politics and economy 

Trade routes

The SCO member countries align with China’s Belt and Road to boost connectivity across Eurasia through pipelines, railways, and corridors.

Global diplomacy

SCO encourages multipolarity by allowing emerging powers to display collective influence in shaping international reforms and policies while counterbalancing Western-led institutions.

Security cooperation

The organization provides a common platform to address narcotics, terrorism, and instability spilling over from Afghanistan. 

Future of SCO member countries

After Belarus joined the regional organization in 2024, the SCO has expanded its roots into Eastern Europe. This has paved the road for potential partnerships with ASEAN and Gulf states. To top it off, the SCO member countries are poised to strengthen multipolar global governance and shape the Eurasian geopolitical landscape by enhancing energy cooperation, security, and connectivity.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has merged as one of the most powerful forces with a strong influence on global politics. Its members collaborate on trade, security, and cultural exchange while navigating differences in economics and politics. With expanding partnerships and new entrants like Belarus, the SCO is expected to face both new opportunities and challenges. 

FAQs

How many countries are members of the SCO in 2025?

As of 2025, there are 10 SCO member countries spanning across Eurasia. 

Which was the last country to join the SCO?

Belarus is the latest entrant of the SCO in 2024.

What is the role of India and Pakistan in the SCO?

Both these SCO member countries play crucial roles in trade, security, and dialogue despite having bilateral tensions.

Are SCO member countries allies of each other?

Although the member countries of the SCO are not strict allies, they do cooperate on economic integration, regional security, and stability.

Is the SCO like NATO or the EU?

The SCO is more like a cooperative forum and not an economic union or a military alliance like the EU or NATO, respectively.