Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined leaders of nine other countries at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 31 August and 1 September 2026. Chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to mark 25 years of the organisation, the summit adopted the Bishkek Declaration and 28 other documents. The meeting also set the stage for Pakistan to take the chairmanship and for a wider debate on a multipolar world order.
What Is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental grouping for political, economic and security cooperation in Eurasia. It was formally created on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai by six founding states: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Before this, five of these countries (all except Uzbekistan) had worked together since 1996 as the Shanghai Five, a forum to build trust on border issues and reduce troops along shared borders.
The SCO Charter, which is the basic legal document of the grouping, was signed at St. Petersburg in June 2002 and came into force on 19 September 2003. The Charter lays down the main goals of the SCO. These include building trust and good neighbourly ties, working together to keep peace and stability in the region, fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism, and promoting cooperation in trade, energy, transport, science, culture and education. The guiding values of the SCO are often called the Shanghai Spirit, which means mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, respect for different cultures and a search for joint development.
The SCO has two permanent bodies. The SCO Secretariat in Beijing, China carries out daily work and keeps official records. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan helps member states share intelligence and coordinate action against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The current SCO Secretary General is Nurlan Yermekbayev of Kazakhstan, and the Director of the RATS Executive Committee is Ularbek Sharsheev of Kyrgyzstan. The official working languages of the SCO have been Russian and Chinese.
The SCO has grown from six to ten full members. India and Pakistan joined as full members on 9 June 2017 at the Astana summit, Iran joined on 4 July 2023, and Belarus joined on 4 July 2024. Afghanistan and Mongolia hold observer status, while around 15 countries including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Laos are dialogue partners or partners. Together, the ten members cover about 36 million square kilometres and are home to more than 3.4 billion people. The grouping accounts for about 25 percent of global GDP and more than 15 percent of world trade.
26th SCO Summit 2026 in Bishkek: Dates, Host, Theme and Participants
The 26th meeting of the Council of Heads of State (CHS), which is the top decision making body of the SCO, was held from 31 August to 1 September 2026 at the Yrys-Ordo Congress Hall in Bishkek. Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country in Central Asia whose official currency is the Kyrgyz som. This was the fourth time Kyrgyzstan hosted an SCO summit. The meeting closed the Kyrgyz chairmanship for 2025-26 and marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of the SCO.
The summit was chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. It worked under the motto “25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity”. All ten member states took part at the top level. China was represented by President Xi Jinping, Russia by President Vladimir Putin, India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistan by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Kazakhstan by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Tajikistan by President Emomali Rahmon, Uzbekistan by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Iran by President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Belarus by President Alexander Lukashenko, along with the host.
The Bishkek summit also drew a wide guest list through the expanded SCO Plus format. Leaders from observer and partner countries such as Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Turkiye, Laos, Vietnam and Togo attended, along with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and heads of bodies such as the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Eurasian Economic Commission. In total, representatives of 18 states and seven international organisations joined the Plus meeting. The summit dates also matched the opening of the sixth World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan on 31 August, which added cultural visibility to the event.
| Summit | Venue and Host | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 23rd Summit, 4 July 2023 | Video meeting chaired by India | Iran joined as ninth member |
| 24th Summit, 3 to 4 July 2024 | Astana, Kazakhstan | Belarus joined as tenth member |
| 25th Summit, 1 September 2025 | Tianjin, China | Tianjin Declaration and SCO Development Strategy to 2035 |
| 26th Summit, 31 August to 1 September 2026 | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek Declaration and handover to Pakistan |
| 27th Summit, 2027 (planned) | Islamabad, Pakistan | To be held under Pakistan chairmanship |
What Does the Bishkek Declaration Say?
The Bishkek Declaration is the main joint political statement adopted at the summit. It is not a binding treaty like a law. It records the shared position of all ten member states on regional and world issues. The declaration states clearly that the SCO is not a military-political bloc and is not directed against any other state or group. It says the SCO works on the principles of openness, equality, mutual respect and non interference in internal affairs.
On security, the declaration puts terrorism at the centre. It says member states strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and reject double standards in the fight against terror. It calls for joint action against the cross border movement of terrorists and against the use of terrorist, separatist and extremist groups for narrow political gain. To turn words into institutions, leaders approved rules for the Universal Centre for Countering Challenges and Threats to the Security of SCO Member States in Tashkent and for the Executive Committee of the SCO Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe. They also adopted joint steps to fight drug addiction and the spread of synthetic drugs and their raw materials till 2030.
On world affairs, the declaration backs a more representative and just multipolar world order with the United Nations (UN) at the centre. The UN is an international body set up in 1945 and headquartered in New York to keep peace and promote cooperation. The declaration calls for reform of global governance so that developing countries get a stronger voice in bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It opposes unilateral coercive measures, which means sanctions imposed by one country or group without UN approval, and supports an open and fair trading system built around the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The declaration also takes positions on current conflicts. It expresses deep concern over strikes on the territory of Iran, an SCO member, and says such strikes violate international law and the UN Charter. It offers condolences over civilian deaths and supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran. It calls for a solution only through political and diplomatic means. It says peace in the Middle East needs a fair settlement of the Palestinian question. On Afghanistan, it supports an independent, neutral and peaceful country free from terrorism, war and drugs. It also backs the strict follow up of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the right to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes.
On economy, technology and environment, the declaration supports steady cooperation in energy under the SCO Energy Cooperation Strategy to 2030. Eight members restated support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a large connectivity plan to link Asia with Europe and Africa through roads, railways, ports and pipelines. The text backs safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), protection of critical information systems, growth of cross border e-commerce, and better transport links through new roads, rail routes and logistics centres. It also welcomes plans for an action plan on ports and logistics centres for 2026 to 2030, a programme for an SCO Green Technology Corridor for 2026 to 2030, and steps for biodiversity protection for 2026 to 2031.
Beyond the declaration, leaders adopted 28 documents in total, including 4 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). An MoU is a written understanding to work together in a specific area. The package included a protocol to amend the SCO Charter, decisions on nuclear safety, energy saving and energy systems, help to states hit by emergencies, action against climate change, cooperation on AI, and a step to bring all observers and dialogue partners under a single SCO Partner status. An MoU between the SCO Secretariat and the African Union Commission was also signed to deepen ties with Africa.
India at the Bishkek Summit: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity
Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed India’s message around three pillars: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, often shortened as S-C-O. He said the 25th anniversary was the right time to plan the road map for the next 25 years and to change shared vision into clear results. He repeated India’s view that conflicts cannot be solved on the battlefield and that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward. He noted that tension in one region affects energy security, sea trade and supply chains across the world, with the countries of the Global South facing the heaviest impact.
On security, Modi called terrorism a grave threat to humanity and urged united action to break the full support system behind it. This system includes terror funding, recruitment, radicalisation and safe shelters. He stressed that there should be no double standards in the fight against terror and that countries which use terrorism as a tool of state policy must get a clear message. This language found a place in the Bishkek Declaration, which also condemns double standards and cross border terror. Modi also linked peace in Eurasia with peace in Afghanistan and pointed to India’s development and humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.
On connectivity, Modi said India supports projects that link markets, ease trade and open new chances for growth. He added a clear condition that such projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations and follow the SCO Charter. This condition matters for India because the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a part of the BRI, passes through territory claimed by India. Modi also asked for practical steps such as simpler customs rules, wider use of digital documents and stronger logistics systems to move goods faster.
On opportunity, Modi spoke about technology, new businesses, innovation, startups and people to people ties. He welcomed the focus on youth during the Kyrgyz chairmanship and listed Indian platforms such as the SCO Startup Forum, the SCO Young Scientists Forum and the SCO Young Authors Conclave. The Bishkek Declaration supports regular meetings of the Young Scientists Forum and notes the role of the Young Authors meet in bringing youth together. Modi also said India will host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum in autumn 2026 to promote exchange among the old cultures and ideas of the region. The declaration welcomes this forum and repeats the idea of One Earth, One Family, One Future for building dialogue.
One clear institutional gain for India was language. Leaders agreed through a protocol to amend the SCO Charter to add English as an official and working language. Till now, only Russian and Chinese held that status. The change will make documents and meetings more open to English speaking members such as India and is seen as a step to improve working methods.
What Is the SCO Plus Meeting and the Debate on a Multipolar World?
The SCO Plus is an expanded meeting held on the sidelines of the main summit. It brings SCO members together with observers, partners and invited international bodies to discuss wider world issues. In Bishkek, the Plus meeting was held on 1 September 2026 under the theme “The UN as a Key Element of a Just World Order: The Contribution of the SCO Plus States to the Formation of a Multipolar World”. About 18 states and seven international organisations took part in this format.
A multipolar world means a world with many centres of power and influence, rather than power held by one country or one small group. A system with one dominant power is called unipolar, a system with two rival powers is called bipolar, and a system with many strong centres is called multipolar. Many leaders in Bishkek said the shift toward multipolarity is a natural and irreversible trend driven by the rise of the Global South, which means developing and emerging economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They said the UN must stay at the centre of this order and that its Charter must remain the main source of international law.
At the same time, leaders said the UN needs reform to reflect present realities. They called for better representation of the Global South and East, especially in the UN Security Council, which is the 15 member UN body that takes decisions on peace and security. China’s message at the meeting spoke of an equal and orderly multipolar world based on sovereign equality, respect, rule of law and dialogue among all countries. Uzbekistan proposed to use SCO Plus as a regular platform for talks on growth, technology, climate adaptation, education and youth, and suggested a Partnership Network of Regional Organisations, an Open Bank of Interregional Projects for green energy and digital services, a permanent investment forum and a Forum of Cultures and Civilisations in Khiva. Kyrgyz President Japarov closed the meeting by stressing that multipolarity should widen chances for equal participation and should not create new dividing lines.
Pakistan Presidency for 2026-27 and Lahore as Tourism and Cultural Capital
At the end of the Bishkek summit, the rotating chairmanship passed from Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan for 2026-27. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif set the theme of the chairmanship as “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity”. The next meeting of the Council of Heads of State will be held in Islamabad in 2027. The chairmanship rotates among members each year, and the chair country hosts the annual summit and guides joint work through the year.
Along with the chairmanship, the city of Lahore in Pakistan was named the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27. The title has been rotated among SCO members every year since 2022 to promote people to people contact and tourism. It highlights a city that reflects the culture of the country holding the chair. Lahore takes the title from Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan, which held it for 2025-26. The choice of Lahore was decided in April 2026 at a meeting of tourism heads in Bishkek.
Lahore is the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province and is known as the cultural heart of the country. It is home to the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens, both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, along with the Badshahi Mosque and the old walled city. Pakistan has said it will hold a year long calendar in Lahore with four flagship cultural events and added programmes in Islamabad and Karachi, with troupes, exhibitions and folk displays from SCO members. The plan links tourism with the wider chairmanship goals of better links, new ideas and shared growth.
Key Takeaways
- The 26th SCO Council of Heads of State summit was held on 31 August and 1 September 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan under the chairmanship of Sadyr Japarov.
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was founded on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, with the Beijing Secretariat and the Tashkent based RATS as its two permanent bodies.
- The summit adopted the Bishkek Declaration along with 28 other documents, including 4 MoUs, covering security, drugs, energy, AI, transport and environment.
- India backed initiatives in the declaration include English as an SCO official language, the SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum in India in autumn 2026, and the SCO Young Scientists Forum.
- The SCO Plus meeting was held on the theme of the UN as a key element of a just world order and the rise of a multipolar world.
- Pakistan took the SCO chairmanship for 2026-27 with the theme Turning Vision into Action, named Lahore as tourism and cultural capital, and will host the next summit in Islamabad in 2027.
