SCO: membership history 1996–2026
SCO began in 1996 as the Shanghai Five (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan) and became the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2001, when Uzbekistan joined. In 2026 it had 10 members. Membership changed in 5 years, including the 1996 founding.
Source: The groupings’ own member lists and histories, 10 Nov 20261996–2026
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Borders show who controls an area in practice, as drawn by Natural Earth. Disputed borders are dashed. Borders shown do not imply endorsement. How we treat borders
Timeline
| 1996 | China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan | – | 5 | China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan first met as the Shanghai Five. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Uzbekistan | – | 6 | The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was founded, with Uzbekistan joining. |
| 2017 | India and Pakistan | – | 8 | |
| 2023 | Iran | – | 9 | |
| 2024 | Belarus | – | 10 |
Source: The groupings’ own member lists and histories, 10 Nov 20261996–2026
Every country that has been a member
| China | 1996 | 1996– |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | 1996 | 1996– |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1996 | 1996– |
| Russia | 1996 | 1996– |
| Tajikistan | 1996 | 1996– |
| Uzbekistan | 2001 | 2001– |
| India | 2017 | 2017– |
| Pakistan | 2017 | 2017– |
| Iran | 2023 | 2023– |
| Belarus | 2024 | 2024– |