SCO leaders adopt Bishkek Declaration; India lists 13 outcomes
Where it stands
The 26th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The summit ran from 31 August to 1 September 2026. The summit marked 25 years of the SCO. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the summit. On 1 September 2026, the leaders adopted the Bishkek Declaration. The leaders adopted 28 documents in all. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) listed 13 outcomes for India. The leaders approved a protocol to amend the SCO Charter. The protocol supports adding English as an official SCO language. Modi said there can be no place for double standards on terrorism. India will host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum later in 2026. Pakistan takes over the SCO chair for 2026-2027.
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Background
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a ten-member group of countries. Six countries founded the SCO in Shanghai on 15 June 2001. The founders were China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in June 2017. Iran joined in July 2023. Belarus joined in July 2024. India chaired the SCO in 2022-2023. The SCO Charter names Russian and Chinese as the only official languages. The SCO Secretariat is in Beijing. The SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is in Tashkent.
How it developed
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2001 to August 2026How it started
From six founders in 2001 to the Bishkek summit of 2026
Six countries set up the SCO in Shanghai on 15 June 2001. India became a full member at the Astana summit in June 2017. As chair, India hosted the 23rd SCO summit online on 4 July 2023. Kyrgyzstan, the chair for 2025-2026, hosted the 26th summit in Bishkek on 31 August and 1 September 2026. The summit theme was "25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity". Modi reached Bishkek after a state visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 29 and 30 August 2026.
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1 Sep, 11:37 ISTNew fact
PM Modi addresses the summit, rejects double standards on terrorism
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the SCO Council of Heads of State in Bishkek on 1 September 2026. Modi said there can be no place for double standards on terrorism. Modi called for dismantling the whole support system of terrorism: money, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens. Modi said all disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, not on the battlefield. Modi said connectivity projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. Modi said India will host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum later in 2026.
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1 Sep, 13:28 ISTSettled
Bishkek Declaration adopted; 13 outcomes for India
On 1 September 2026, Modi and the other SCO leaders signed the Bishkek Declaration. The leaders adopted 28 documents in all, including a protocol to amend the SCO Charter of 7 June 2002. The protocol supports adding English as an official SCO language. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) listed 13 outcomes for India. One outcome is a new Universal Centre for Countering Challenges and Threats to the Security of SCO Member States. The summit also adopted plans for SCO ports and logistics centres and for a Green Technology Corridor, both for 2026-2030.
Why it matters for UPSC
The SCO summit is a General Studies Paper 2 topic on international groupings. The Bishkek Declaration is a political statement, not a binding treaty. The English change rests on a protocol to amend the SCO Charter, with no reported start date.
Key terms
Sources (7)
- Ministry of External Affairs · official · Brief on India-SCO Cooperation (21 August 2025)01:26
- ANI · SCO summit yields 13 outcome agreements spanning counter-terrorism, climate action, and digital cooperation01:26
- SCO Secretariat · official · SCO official website (home page: Kyrgyz chairmanship 2025-2026; 26th Council of Heads of State meeting, 1 September 2026)01:26
- Akashvani News · official · No place for double standards on terrorism: PM Modi at SCO meeting in Bishkek01:26
- IANS · Several India-led and backed initiatives find place in Bishkek Declaration adopted after SCO Summit01:26
- SCO Secretariat · official · The 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States and the "SCO Plus" Meeting Held in Kyrgyzstan01:26
- PTI · India highlights SCO summit outcomes01:26