26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit:
The 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State (CHS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the inaugural “SCO Plus” meeting were held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
- Marking the 25th anniversary of the SCO, the summit was chaired by Kyrgyzstan under the theme, “25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.”
- The 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek strengthened cooperation in regional security, counter-terrorism, connectivity, technology, environment and economic development, while adopting several institutional and cooperation measures.
- For India, the SCO remains an important platform to advance strategic autonomy, Central Asian connectivity, counter-terrorism and multi-alignment, while promoting a more multipolar world order.
- The SCO leaders signed and issued the Bishkek Declaration, reaffirming cooperation on regional peace, security, development and the organisation’s future direction.
- The leaders approved the Protocol on Amendments and Additions to the SCO Charter, aimed at updating the organisation’s institutional framework.
- It allows newer members, such as India, to actively participate in shaping the organization’s future structural and legal framework.
- The SCO leaders approved the regulations to establish the Universal Centre for Countering Challenges and Threats to the Security of SCO Member States.
- This aims to enhance intelligence sharing against terrorism, extremism, and organized crime.
- The leaders approved the regulations on the Executive Committee of the SCO Anti-Drug Centre and adopted programmes on combating drug addiction and countering the spread of synthetic drugs and their precursors up to 2030.
- Leaders signed an action plan for the development of ports and logistics centers across member states (2026–2030) and established the framework for the SCO “Green Technology Corridor”.
- The summit approved the SCO–CSTO–CIS Roadmap for trilateral cooperation among the SCO, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
- It also decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the SCO Secretariat and the African Union Commission, further expanding the SCO’s engagement with regional organisations.
- The SCO adopted a Plan of Cooperation on Ensuring International Information Security for 2026–2028.
- The leaders adopted an initiative on the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Biodiversity in SCO Member States for 2026–2031, along with a joint action plan.
- The rotating SCO chairmanship for 2026–2027 was handed over to Pakistan, which announced the theme “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity” for its tenure.
- Lahore was also designated as the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026–2027.
