DECLARATION of the Tenth Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (June 10-11, 2010, Tashkent) The tenth meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held on June 10 and 11, 2010 in Tashkent. Following an exchange of views on important regional and international issues, the participants hereby declare the following: 1. Significant changes and fundamental transformations are taking place in today’s dynamically developing world. In an increasingly multi-polar world, states are becoming more interdependent and the globalization is gaining momentum. This is having a major impact on the development of the global economy and international relations. The member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as the SCO or the Organization) are unanimous in their assessment of the changes occurring in the world, which pose not only new threats and challenges, but also provide opportunities for progress towards a more just political and economic world based on the rule of international law and equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among all countries in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. The SCO member states intend to strictly abide by the spirit of the SCO Charter and the provisions of the Treaty for Long-term Good-Neighborly Relations, Friendship and Cooperation, and implement the Organization’s basic purposes and principles. 2. In the years since its establishment, SCO has become an important factor in regional and international security and cooperation, and proved to be an effective and transparent multilateral association. In its policies, the Organization will continue to exclude bloc oriented, ideologized or confrontational approaches when addressing issues of international and regional development. The SCO member states are resolved to pursue close and comprehensive cooperation within the Organization in order to strengthen its role as a reliable guarantor of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. 3. In view of developments in the Kyrgyz Republic, the member states reaffirm their principled position of mutual support for state sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. They oppose interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, or actions that may cause tensions in the region, and believe that all disagreements should be settled exclusively by political and diplomatic means through dialogue and negotiations. Having stressed the importance for the entire region to stabilize the political situation in Kyrgyzstan as swiftly as possible, the SCO member states expressed their willingness to provide the Kyrgyz Republic with the necessary support and assistance to that end. 4. The member states reaffirm that the United Nations plays a central role in the system of international relations as a unique and, in many respects, irreplaceable mechanism of multilateral cooperation. The member states intend to continue cooperation on the issue of the reforms of the United Nations and its Security Council. Since this reform affects the interests of all Member States of the United Nations, open and comprehensive consultations should continue with the view of drawing up a comprehensive draft enjoying the broadest possible consensus. 5. New security threats and challenges have now risen to the forefront of the international 1 agenda, which increased the need to strengthen joint efforts aimed at combating terrorism in all its manifestations and the importance of addressing international and regional security issues. The member states will focus their efforts on the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and provisions of the SCO Counter-Terrorism Convention, as well as on combating terrorist and extremist ideology by promoting a dialogue between civilizations and cultures. 6. The member states emphasize that the Organization should remain focused on strengthened coordination of joint measures to recover from the world financial and economic crisis and reduce its negative impacts. In order to overcome the crisis, consistent efforts should be made to modernize national economies and channel them into the path of innovations. All countries concerned should be equally involved in the international decision-making process and global and regional cooperation should be strengthened towards these ends. The SCO will undertake efforts to create conditions conducive to trade and investment activities and implementation of joint regional and interregional projects of transport and communications infrastructure development, in order to increase the economic competitiveness of the member states. 7. In the modern world, it is crucial to build a system of international security based on respect for international law and compliance by states with their obligations. The establishment of such a system requires coherent and effective disarmament and non-proliferation measures. The member states call for the strict observance of the provisions of the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including its provisions on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. They believe that the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia, an important element of ensuring regional peace and security, could make a significant contribution towards strengthened nuclear non-proliferation regime and enhanced regional and international security. An effective step in that direction would be signing by the nuclear powers of the relevant Protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia. The member states welcome the signing on April 8, 2010 in Prague of the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The member states stress that uncontrolled deployment of global anti-ballistic missile defense systems, alongside with the threat of weapons being deployed in outer space, could destabilize the international situation and lead to a proliferation of, and an increase in, missiles in various regions of the world. 8. The continued escalation of the confrontation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and terrorism, drug trafficking and transnational organized crime originating from this country remains a serious element of regional insecurity. The achievement of peace and stability in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is crucial for ensuring security that promotes sustainable socio- economic development in the entire region. The member states reaffirm the leading role of the United Nations in coordinating the international community’s efforts to achieve a solution in Afghanistan. They consider that the situation in Afghanistan cannot be settled through military methods alone and support continued negotiation process under United Nations auspices attended by Afghans themselves. The SCO, which supports the evolution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as a peaceful and stable country, believes in the importance of full respect of the rich historical and ethno- demographic roots of the multi-ethnic people of Afghanistan and their traditional and religious values. The SCO supports the efforts of the member states taking part in economic recovery projects in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan jointly with international institutions and other interested 2 parties. The member states call upon the international community to intensify its efforts to combat the drug threat originating from Afghanistan at all levels of the drug production and distribution chain. In this context, the summit meeting participants express their willingness to cooperate with other international and regional bodies and call upon the International Security Assistance Force to cooperate with the SCO member states in counter-narcotics efforts. 9. The member states note that information security is closely linked to state sovereignty, national security, socio-economic stability and the interests of citizens. All countries are entitled to exercise control over the Internet in accordance with their domestic situation and laws, while expanding cooperation in a spirit of equality and mutual respect. Information technologies should be used for the purposes of peace, development, security and prosperity. The member states will continue to implement SCO security instruments signed in this area and undertake active efforts to ensure international information security. 10. The member states note the increased role played by the Organization in establishing a partnership network of multilateral entities in the Asia-Pacific region in the context of strengthened peace, stability and sustainable development under the 2004 “Tashkent Initiative”. The member states welcome the signing on April 5, 2010 in Tashkent of the Joint Declaration on SCO/United Nations Secretariat Cooperation, which sets forth the main principles and areas of cooperation between the two organizations. 11. The approval by the heads of state of the SCO rules of procedure and the regulation on the procedure for admitting new members to the Organization represents an important step towards ensuring its further development, enhancing its authority and improving the legal framework for its bodies’ operation. The member states advocate further intensified cooperation with the SCO observer states and dialogue partners and support strengthened practical cooperation aimed at engaging their capacities, resources and markets in the joint activities. 12. The sixty-fifth anniversary of the end of the Second World War is being widely commemorated in the SCO member states and around the world. The SCO member states emphasize that the lessons of that war reaffirm, even today, the importance of all States and political leaders being committed to preventing new tragedies with massive human casualties and, through their joint efforts, to working together to effectively counter threats and challenges to humanity. The member states, whose peoples made a major contribution to the achievement of victory and suffered heavy losses during the Second World War, strongly condemn attempts to revive fascist ideology and spread xenophobia, intolerance, extremism and terrorism for sinister political purposes. *** The SCO will continue upholding its commitment to peace, joint development and equal cooperation based on mutual respect and tolerance, expanded cooperation and dialogue with the international community and making every effort to strengthen security, stability and wellbeing in the region and in the world as a whole, for the sake of harmony and shared prosperity. The member states reaffirm their intention to hold commemorative events next year to mark the tenth anniversary of the Organization. Tashkent, 11 June 2010 3