[Title] ASTANA DECLARATION On the 10th Anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The heads of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, following the meeting of the Council of Heads of the Member States to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the SCO founding held on June 15, 2011 in Astana, hereby state the following:
I
The decision to found the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as the SCO or the Organization) made 10 years ago was a strategically calculated historic step. In the past decade, the SCO has become a generally recognized and prestigious multilateral association actively promoting peace and development in the region and efficiently addressing modern challenges and threats.
The choice made by the SCO member states early in the 21st century on the way towards deepened good-neighborly, friendly and partner relations in the region, set a good example for the international community of achieving realistic and important results in the field of commn development.
In strict compliance with the principles and provisions of the SCO Charter as well as of the Treaty on Long-term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation among the Member States of the Organization, its member states have laid solid foundation for the SCO efficient functioning in order to jointly safeguard peace, security and stability, as well as develop multilateral cooperation in political, economic, cultural and other fields in the SCO region.
II
In the course of 10 years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has successfully gone all the way from its institutionalization to the establishment of effective mechanisms of cooperation in various fields.
1. A high level of mutual trust prevailing at regular meetings of the SCO main bodies – the Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government and the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs – guarantees adoption of consensual decisions on the most important aspects of the Organization's operations and facilitates mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.
2. Effective cooperation has been established in the field of security aimed at confronting terrorism, separatism and extremism, illegal trafficking in narcotics and weapons, and transnational organized crime. Mechanisms of regular sessions and meetings of secretaries of security councils, prosecutors general, supreme judges, ministers of defense and disaster relief, interior and public security, heads of counternarcotics agencies were set up to enable addressing urgent issues related to new challenges and threats.
3. Long-term trade and economic programs and plans have been adopted aiming to ensure the socioeconomic development of the SCO member states. Meetings of ministers in charge of external economic and trade relations, transport, agriculture, finance and heads of national banks contribute to achieving stated goals. The Business Council and the Interbank Association have become operational.
4. Cultural and humanitarian cooperation is being strengthened contributing to spiritual rapprochement and intercultural dialogue among the peoples of the SCO member states. The intensified collaboration is underway in the framework of the meetings of ministers of culture, healthcare, science and technology, as well as the SCO Forum.
5. The SCO permanent bodies – the Secretariat in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure in Tashkent – have been effective, playing an important part in practical implementation of treaties executed and agreements reached within the Organization. The adoption of the SCO Rules of Procedure and the Regulation on the Personnel of SCO Permanent Bodies has contributed to making the Organization's operation more systemic.
6. The SCO demonstrated its openness to cooperation with other states, international and regional organizations. The observer states – India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan, as well as its dialogue partners – Belarus and Sri Lanka – are becoming engaged in multifaceted cooperation within SCO. Partner relations have been established with the UN, CIS, CSTO, EurAsEC, ASEAN, ESCAP and ECO.
III
The heads of state note with satisfaction the general harmony of approaches by the SCO member states to global and regional problems and confirm their willingness to work closely together on the world arena.
International relations are undergoing serious and fundamental change and transformation. The realities of modern politics, economy and finance are changing rapidly. The issues of effective joint countering of global security challenges and ensuring sustainable development common to all states, are coming to the forefront.
Priorities shift towards creating a space of indivisible security for all states without exception, cooperation and prosperity on the basis of agreed understanding of modern reality and rejection of attempts to ensure one's own security at the expense of others.
The mankind is still facing threats and challenges, such as financial and economic instability, regional conflicts, WMD proliferation, terrorism, transnational crime, food shortage, and climate change. The recent tragic events in Japan highlighted the need for combined actions by the international community aimed at neutralizing modern threats, inter alia, at elaboration of measures to provide timely assistance to countries affected by natural and manmade disasters. Whilst expressing grave concern over the instability in the Northern Africa and the Middle East, the heads of state call for the earliest possible stabilization of the situation in this region. The SCO member states support the democratic development of the states in the region with due regard of their specific cultural and historical features. The meeting noted that internal conflicts and crises should be resolved solely by peaceful means through a political dialogue, whereas the international community efforts should be focused on facilitating the processes of national reconciliation based on the strict compliance with the international law, full respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as upholding the principle of non- interference in internal affairs of all states. In this regard, the SCO member states underline the need for a cessation of military confrontation in Libya and full implementation of the UN SC Resolutions 1970 and 1973 by all the parties concerned.
The SCO member states stand ready to cooperate with other members of the international community in order to facilitate peace, stability and development at regional and global level, promote democratization of international relations and uphold the rule of the international law in world affairs.
IV
The heads of state stress that, as regards the SCO international activities, the priority is to consolidate and develop relations with the United Nations Organization in addressing new challenges and threats, as well as in the field of economic, social, humanitarian and cultural development.
As a unique organization of universally recognized legitimacy, the UN plays a central role in maintaining peace and security on the planet, promoting common development and expanding international cooperation. The SCO member states support strengthening the UN authority and enhancing its efficiency through a gradual reform, as well as steady increase of its capacity to enable it to timely and adequately respond to challenges and threats.
The member states underline that all the parties concerned should continue multilateral consultations with the aim of formulating a comprehensive approach to the issue of the UN and its Security Council reform that would enjoy the widest possible support. In order to ensure cohesion among the UN member countries, one should neither artificially set a deadline for the negotiation process, nor prematurely submit any drafts for discussion, including those on isolated aspects of the negotiation process, lacking the support of the overwhelming majority of the member countries.
The SCO member states regard the UN platform as a fundamental element of their counterterrorism cooperation at the global level and consider important to work together to implement the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as well as universal counterterrorism conventions and relevant UN SC resolutions.
V
The SCO member states advocate strict compliance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons aimed to deter the threat of spreading nuclear weapons, ensure the process of nuclear disarmament and guarantee the development of broad international cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The creation of the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia represents an important element of the regional peace and security that can make a significant contribution to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime and raising the level of regional and international security. Signing the relevant Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone in Central Asia by all nuclear states will become an effective step in this direction.
The member states believe that a unilateral and unlimited build-up of anti-missile defense by a particular country or a narrow group of countries can undermine the strategic stability and international security.
The member states support the use of outer space solely for peaceful purposes, underline the need to ensure the security of space activities and elaborate, as part of the Geneva disarmament conference, a draft of the legally binding Agreement on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space, the threat or use of force against outer space objects.
VI
The heads of state note with satisfaction that in the past 10 years since the SCO founding, the Organization has become an important element of the partner network of multilateral associations under construction in the Asia Pacific region.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization supports maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region, creating an open, transparent and equality based architecture of security and cooperation on the basis of the norms and principles of the international law, bloc-free mentality and due regard for the legitimate interests of all states.
VII
The tasks of combating terrorism, separatism and extremism remain the key priority for the SCO. Whilst resolutely condemning any manifestations thereof, the SCO member states intend to continue joint work on the implementation of the provisions of the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, as well as the SCO Counter-Terrorism Convention.
The SCO member states have noted that transnational crime and illicit drug trafficking pose a serious threat to the modern society. The Counternarcotics Strategy of the SCO member states for 2011-2016 is meant to strengthen practical cooperation aimed at jointly preventing negative impacts of the narcotic threat in the SCO region and safeguarding steady regional development. The emerging real threats to information security are the cause of grave concern. The problem of cybercrime transcending global and transnational level requires joint efforts and broad international cooperation. The SCO member states stand ready to strengthen collaboration in the field of international information security.
Given the rapidly unfolding situation and rising threats in the world, the task of creating political, social and other conditions conducive to preventing the resurgence of extremist ideology and terrorist propaganda is gaining special significance.
The SCO supports Afghanistan evolution to become an independent, neutral, peaceful and prosperous country. Achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan is one of the main factors in ensuring regional and international security. The SCO member states will continue to assist the friendly Afghan nation in its reconstruction efforts.
VIII
Improved welfare and living standards of the peoples of the SCO member countries is the Organization's most important objective.
The SCO member states believe that the Organization should continue to focus on the implementation of joint measures to address the effects of the global financial economic crisis and ensure steady balanced growth of the national economies. The SCO member states advocate further reforms in the international financial regulation, strengthened coordination of policies and cooperation in the field of financial regulation and control. The dialogue on efficient measure to ensure the stability of the member states' financial systems will continue.
The SCO member states intend to promote major joint projects in such areas as transport and communications, agricultural production, innovative and energy-saving technologies, trade and tourism. Creation of relevant funding mechanisms will be expedited. The implementation of these projects will significantly boost mutual trade, create new markets, provide serious impetus to the regional development and diversify transport corridors between Asia and Europe. The economic growth in the SCO member states will be prompted by the consistent realization of the Plan of Actions on the implementation of the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation among the SCO Member States approved on October 30, 2008 in Astana.
The heads of state called for further intensification of trade, economic and investment collaboration in the SCO region, including involvement of the observer states and dialogue partners' potential.
IХ
The member states note the significance of cultural and humanitarian cooperation within SCO with its main aims of strengthening mutually enriching relations of good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation. In future, the Organization will put greater emphasis on strengthening cooperation in the field of culture, environmental protection, science, technology and innovation, healthcare, tourism and sport.
Continued cooperation to address the threats of natural and manmade disasters remains important as well.
Х
Cooperation in the field of security, economy and improved population well-being remains a long-term priority for the Organization. Based on prior achievements, the member states are committed to further strengthen cooperation in the spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for cultural diversity, aspiration to common development, and jointly implement all the main goals and principles of the SCO basic documents.
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, we, the heads of the SCO member states, hereby declare that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be effectively implementing all the stated goals and tasks of ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the SCO region.