The Shanghai Cooperation Organization: 2024 Summit Outcomes and Regional Integration

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded its 24th Heads of State Council meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 4, 2024. The summit resulted in the formal accession of Belarus as the organization’s tenth member state, further expanding the group’s reach across Eurasia. Led by the rotating chairmanship of Kazakhstan, member nations focused on deepening economic cooperation, counter-terrorism efforts, and regional security frameworks amid shifting global geopolitical alignments.

Belarus Joins as the Tenth SCO Member

The most significant development at the 2024 Astana summit was the formal admission of Belarus. According to the [official SCO Secretariat documentation](http://eng.sectsco.org/), the process for Belarus’s accession began at the 2023 New Delhi summit and concluded with the signing of the memorandum of obligations this July.

Belarus joins an expanding bloc that now includes China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This expansion signals the organization’s intent to consolidate influence across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. By integrating Belarus, the SCO gains a member that serves as a strategic transit corridor between the organization’s Asian core and the European Union’s eastern border.

Security Cooperation and the Astana Declaration

The summit culminated in the adoption of the Astana Declaration, a comprehensive document outlining the collective stance of member states on regional stability. As reported by the [Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan](https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/796645?lang=en), the declaration emphasizes the “Shanghai Spirit”—a set of principles prioritizing mutual trust, equality, and common development.

Key security initiatives discussed during the plenary sessions included:

• Counter-Terrorism: Strengthening the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) to address cross-border threats, specifically focusing on extremist movements originating from the Afghanistan region.
• Narcotics Control: Member states pledged to increase intelligence sharing to disrupt illicit drug trafficking routes.
• Digital Security: A new focus on protecting critical information infrastructure against cyberattacks, a priority championed by the Chinese delegation.

Economic Integration and Connectivity

Economic policy dominated the working sessions, with a particular focus on reducing reliance on Western financial systems. According to statements released by the [Russian Presidential Executive Office](http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/74474), leaders discussed the expansion of national currency settlements for intra-SCO trade. This move is designed to mitigate the impact of international sanctions and currency volatility.

The organization also reviewed progress on the “SCO Energy Cooperation Strategy,” which aims to harmonize energy policies among major producers like Russia and Iran and major consumers like China and India. While progress on large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, continues to be a point of emphasis, member states focused on streamlining customs procedures to facilitate smoother cross-border trade flows.

Comparison of SCO Expansion Phases

| Membership Phase | Key Additions | Strategic Focus |
| :— | :— | :— |
| Founding (2001) | China, Russia, Central Asian States | Border security and regional stability |
| First Expansion (2017) | India, Pakistan | Integrating South Asia into the security framework |
| Second Expansion (2023-2024) | Iran, Belarus | Countering isolation and expanding economic corridors |

Looking Toward the Next Presidency

Following the conclusion of the Astana summit, the rotating chairmanship of the SCO passed to the People’s Republic of China for the 2024-2025 term. Chinese leadership has indicated that the upcoming agenda will prioritize the “SCO Green Development Year,” focusing on climate change mitigation and sustainable energy transitions. The next meeting of the Heads of State Council is expected to be hosted in China in 2025, where the organization will likely evaluate the integration progress of its two newest members, Iran and Belarus.