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CHINA / Background
Declaration of Heads of Member States of SCO
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-12 15:15
(Astana, July 05, 2005)
Unofficial translation by the SCO Secretariat
The heads of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
-- /further mentioned as the SCO or the Organisation/ -- of the Republic
of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the
Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of
Uzbekistan -- having gathered at a meeting of the Council of heads of SCO
member states in Astana on July 05, 2005, state the following:
I
A year on, since the last meeting of heads of memoperation between the
member states and is becoming actively engaged in interaction with other
international organisations and countries.
The SCO permanent bodies, which have been operating since 2004 --
Secretariat, based in Beijing, and Regional Antiterrorist Structure
(RATS), based in Tashkent, -- are becoming effective collective
instruments that provide an uninterrupted functioning of the
Organisation. The RATS executive body -- Council -- has been playing a
still more important role, which must increase further.
In order to enhance the effectiveness and coordination of the activity of
the SCO and of all its bodies and mechanisms, the heads of the member
states agreed that by their next high-level meeting in 2006 the Council
of national coordinators will present proposals with regard to
strengthening the role of Secretariat and renaming the Russian title of
its chief as Secretary-General.
The heads of the member states underscored the importance of taking
necessary measures on the fulfillment of agreements, which were reached
at the second meeting of secretaries of national security councils of SCO
member states in Astana on June 02, 2005.
In order to contribute to the fulfillment by the RATS of the Shanghai
Convention on combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, the heads of
the member states agreed to set up an institution of permanent
representatives of member states based upon the same principles,
according to which permanent representatives of the member states to the
Secretariat are now operating.
The heads of the member states express their confidence that the Concept
of cooperation between SCO member states on combating terrorism,
separatism and extremism, which has been adopted at the summit, will help
enhance the effectiveness of such cooperation and make the activity of
RATS more precise and targeted.
The heads of the member states assume that a meeting of the Council of
heads of government (prime ministers), which is due in Moscow in autumn,
2005, will provide true momentum for the realisation of the Action Plan
on fulfillment of the Program of multilateral trade and economic
cooperation between SCO member states, for getting down to a more
practical interaction between ministries and departments responsible for
external trade and economic activity, transport, environmental
protection, tackling of emergency situation, culture and education, as
well as establish a rational financial and budgetary policy of the SCO.
The SCO Business Council, the formation of which is entering into a final
stage, is to become a new source of stimulating the integration process
within the framework of the Organisation. Guided by the principle of
consensus, the parties will speed up the establishment of SCO Development
Fund. At the same time the parties agreed to strengthen interaction
between banks in order to provide financial support for the realisation
of projects of regional cooperation.
While emphasizing a great and constructive job, which was done by the
Council of ministers of foreign affairs, the heads of the member states
underline the importance of a practical functioning of the already
launched mechanism of consultations on international issues. They also
consider the task of providing a well planned and targeted development of
SCO external contacts an urgent one. Such issues should basically be
handled by the Council of ministers of foreign affairs, and current
coordination of external ties, being established by the SCO permanent
bodies, should be done through the Council of national coordinators and
in interaction with the Council of RATS.
The heads of the member states express their confidence that giving
Pakistan, Iran and India observer status in the SCO will expand the
Organisation’s opportunities in terms of developing multilateral and
mutually beneficial cooperation in various directions.
An important indication of the SCO’s growing authority on the
international stage is the obtaining by the Organisation of observer
status at the UN General Assembly in December 2004 and the signing of
memoranda of understanding between the SCO and CIS, the SCO and ASEAN.
In the immediate future the Council of national coordinators, jointly
with the Secretariat and RATS, must work out a general approach so that
the SCO could be able to develop contacts with the UN Secretariat, its
commissions and committees and fulfill already signed documents on
cooperation with other international organisations with maximum
efficiency, as well as establish ties with regional associations, forums
and interested countries built upon equality and mutual respect.
II
The heads of the member states point out that, against the backdrop of a
contradictory process of globalisation, multilateral cooperation, which
is based on the principles of equal right and mutual respect,
non-intervention in internal affairs of sovereign states,
non-confrontational way of thinking and consecutive movement towards
democratisation of international relations, contributes to overall peace
and security, and call upon the international community, irrespective of
its differences in ideology and social structure, to form a new concept
of security based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and
interaction.
Diversity of cultures and civilisations in the world is a common human
value. At a time of fast developing information technologies and
communications it must stimulate mutual interest, tolerance, abandonment
of extreme approaches and assessments, development of dialogue. Every
people must be properly guaranteed to have the right to choose its own
way of development.
The heads of the member states are convinced that a rational and just
world order must be based upon consolidation of mutual trust and
good-neighborly relations, upon the establishment of true partnership
with no pretence to monopoly and domination in international affairs.
Such order will become more stable and secure, if it comes to consider
the supremacy of principles and standards of international law, before
all, the UN Charter. In the area of human rights it is necessary to
respect strictly and consecutively historical traditions and national
features of every people, sovereign equality of all states.
The heads of the member states voice their support for rational and
necessary reforms of the United Nations, aimed at enhancing the
effectiveness and authority of this organisation. It was confirmed that,
as the reforms got underway, it would be important to maintain as much
broader consensus, to not impose any timeframe for the sake of
overhauling the UN, as well as any voting on the projects, which are
still causing a major disagreement.
The heads of the member states proceed from the assumption that in the
21st century the Asia Pacific region is destined to play an important
part in providing peace and development, and declare against fault lines
appearing both in the Asia Pacific region and in its separate constituent
parts; declare for any misunderstanding and controversy among countries
to be resolved by peaceful means and through negotiations; declare for an
atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding, interaction and
constructiveness to come to reign in this dynamic region. Contributing to
that is one of the main directions of the SCO activity.
The heads of the member states support the efforts by the Central Asian
countries, aimed at providing peace, security and stability in their
territory and in the whole region, and declare for the SCO to play an
active role in strengthening stability and economic development in the
Central Asia.
III
The heads of the member states believe that joint efforts by the member
states are required in order to effectively confront new challenges and
threats to security and stability in the region and in the world.
Such joint efforts must be of a complex nature and tangibly contribute to
providing the territories, population, key objects of life support and
infrastructure of the member states with a reliable protection from the
destructive effect of new challenges and threats, to creating necessary
conditions for steady development and elimination of poverty on the SCO
terrain, and include the following:
- development of a close cooperation between diplomatic, foreign,
external economic and law enforcement bodies, intelligence and defense
agencies of the member states;
- active exploitation of the mechanism of meetings of secretaries of
national security councils of the member states;
- formulation of effective measures and mechanisms of SCO joint reaction
to situations, which threaten peace, security and stability in the region;
- joint planning and conduct of antiterrorist activities;
- harmonisation of national legislations on issues of security provision;
- cooperation on the invention and implementation of modern technical
equipment used in fight against new challenges and threats;
- formation of an effective mechanism of mass media counteraction against
new challenges and threats;
- training of respective personnel.
The SCO member states will prevent any attempts on their territories to
prepare and commit acts of terror, including those aimed against the
interests of other countries, not provide asylum for individuals, accused
or suspected of conducting terrorist, separatist and extremist activity,
and extradite such individuals at respective requests on the part of
another SCO member state in strict accordance with the current
legislation of the member states.
Measures will be taken to improve and enhance the effectiveness of the
SCO Regional Antiterrorist Structure activity.
It is important that in the framework of fight against international
terrorism the SCO solve problems, dealing with the liquidation of its
material base, before all, through fighting illicit circulation of
weapons, ammunition, explosives and drugs, transnational organised crime,
illegal migration and mercenary activity. Special attention should be
focused on preventing terrorists from misusing items of weapons of mass
destruction, means of their delivery and on information terrorism.
Counteraction against the financing of terrorism, separatism and
extremism, including the legalisation of illegally made profits and
money, urgently requires the formulation of united approaches and
standards of monitoring money remittance, movement of financial resources
of organisations and individuals, suspected of involvement in terrorism,
as well as an active engagement by the SCO in respective international
efforts.
In compliance with the Agreement on cooperation in the fight against
illicit circulation of narcotic means, psychotropic substances and their
precursors, signed on June 17, 2004, a matter of high priority must be
the deepening of cooperation on tackling illicit circulation of narcotic
means, psychotropic substances and their precursors. The SCO is ready to
actively participate in the international efforts on the formation of
antinarcotic belts around Afghanistan, in formulation and realisation of
special programs, providing assistance for Afghanistan in order to
stabilise its social, economic and humanitarian situation.
We are supporting and shall continue to support the efforts by the
international coalition, conducting antiterrorist operation in
Afghanistan. Today we are noticing the positive dynamics of stabilising
internal political situation in Afghanistan. A number of the SCO member
states provided their ground infrastructure for temporary stationing of
military contingents of some states, members of the coalition, as well as
their territory and air space for military transit in the interest of the
antiterrorist operation.
Considering the completion of the active military stage of antiterrorist
operation in Afghanistan, the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation consider it necessary, that respective members of the
antiterrorist coalition set a final timeline for their temporary use of
the above-mentioned objects of infrastructure and stay of their military
contingents on the territories of the SCO member states.
Protection and development of key objects of infrastructure and transport
are becoming ever more urgent in terms of preventing and tackling various
kinds of technogenic disasters, consequences of which have already become
an essential part of a set of threats to the new order. The SCO member
states will work out multilateral mechanisms on a system of monitoring
and exchange of analytical information in connection with possible
disasters and their consequences, as well as on the creation of necessary
legal and organising conditions for conducting joint rescue operations,
including education and training of personnel under united methods, its
quick transfer and compatibility of technical means.
The SCO will be making a constructive contribution to the efforts by the
world community on issues of providing security on land, at sea, in air
space and in outer space.
In order to increase the fight potential of the member states of the
Organisation for combating terrorism, separatism, extremism and other
challenges and threats, the SCO member states will consecutively expand
their cooperation in economic area, guided by the Program of multilateral
trade and economic cooperation and the Action Plan on its fulfillment.
Practical steps will be taken in the field of ecology and rational use of
natural resources.
Formulation of coordinated methods and recommendations on conducting
prophylactic activities and respective explanatory work among the public
in order to confront attempts of exerting a destructive influence on the
public opinion is a vital task. The member states will actively
contribute to the expansion of interaction within the SCO framework in
such areas as education, culture, sport and tourism.
The heads of the member states proceed from the assumption that joining
efforts in the SCO framework for the purpose of providing security and
expanding the Organisation’s potential does not hurt the interests of
other states and does not mean a movement towards the creation of any
bloc, fully corresponds to the SCO principle of outside openness and the
spirit of broad international interaction in confronting new challenges
and threats.
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
N.Nazarbaev
President of the People’s Republic of China
Hu Jintao
acting President of the Kyrgyz Republic
K.Bakiev
President of the Russian Federation
V.Putin
President of the Republic of Tajikistan
E.Rakhmonov
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
I.Karimov
(Source: SECTSCO.org)
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