Martha Stewart
New Challenger
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Declaration of Heads of Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organization
A summit of heads of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization /SCO/ took place on July 05 in Astana. 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 and president of the Republic of Uzbekistan I.Karimov took part in the summit. The summit was also attended by president of Mongolia Nambaryn Enhbayar, first vice president of Iran Mohammad Reza Aref, prime minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, minister of foreign affairs of India Natvar Singh and SCO secretary-general Zhang Deguang. Based on its results, the SCO summit issued a declaration of the heads of the member states of the Organisation.
Posted below is a full version of the Declaration of the heads of the SCO member states:
Declaration of Heads of Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(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 member states in Tashkent on June 17, 2004, all the tasks, which were set out then for the purpose of a further development and consolidation of the SCO, have almost been completed. The Organisation is making firm steps on the road of establishing multilateral cooperation 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 major discrepancies.
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.
A summit of heads of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization /SCO/ took place on July 05 in Astana. 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 and president of the Republic of Uzbekistan I.Karimov took part in the summit. The summit was also attended by president of Mongolia Nambaryn Enhbayar, first vice president of Iran Mohammad Reza Aref, prime minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, minister of foreign affairs of India Natvar Singh and SCO secretary-general Zhang Deguang. Based on its results, the SCO summit issued a declaration of the heads of the member states of the Organisation.
Posted below is a full version of the Declaration of the heads of the SCO member states:
Declaration of Heads of Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(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 member states in Tashkent on June 17, 2004, all the tasks, which were set out then for the purpose of a further development and consolidation of the SCO, have almost been completed. The Organisation is making firm steps on the road of establishing multilateral cooperation 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 major discrepancies.
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.
