The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China through a declaration by 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. Its predecessor was the "Shanghai Five" mechanism.

In 2002, the SCO Member States signed the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at the St. Petersburg Summit, which came into force on September 19, 2003. This foundational document defines the Organization's purposes and principles, institutional framework, and key areas of cooperation.