The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental organization established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai.

Founding members: Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan

Total area: more than 30 million square km, making up three fifths of the Eurasian continent

Population: 1.5 billion, accounting for a quarter of the world total

Observing members: India, Pakistan, Iran, Mongolia and Afghanistan

Dialogue partners: Sri Lanka, Belarus and Turkey

Main goal: moving toward the establishment of a new, democratic, just and rational political and economic international order

(Source: SCO website)