Declaration signed by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Kurmanbek Bakiev, President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov in Dushanbe, 28 August 2008
The heads of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (hereinafter referred to as the SCO or the Organisation) having gathered in Dushanbe at the Heads of State Council meeting and having discussed issues of international and regional situation state the following:
1. In the 21st century interdependence of states has grown sharply, security and development are becoming inseparable. None of the modern international problems can be settled by force, the role of force factor in global and regional politics is diminishing objectively.
Reliance on a solution based solely on the use of force faces no prospects, it hinders comprehensive settlement of local conflicts; effective resolution of existing problems can be possible only with due regard for the interests of all parties, through their involvement in a process of negotiations, not through isolation. Attempts to strengthen one’s own security to the prejudice of security of others do not assist the maintenance of global security and stability.
The participants of the Dushanbe meeting underline the need to respect historical and cultural traditions of every state and every people and the efforts aimed to preserve in accordance to international law unity and territorial integrity of states as well as to encourage good-neighbourly relations among peoples and their common development.
2. Search for effective response to common challenges and threats that are global in nature must be conducted in strict accordance with the UN Charter and generally accepted norms of the international law, by uniting the efforts of all states, overcoming the confrontation mentality, bloc politics and unipolarity, using the means of multilateral diplomacy.
The member states of the SCO believe that in modern circumstances the international security must be built on the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation. The creation of a global antimissile defence system does not assist the maintenance of strategic balance, international efforts on weapons control and nuclear non-proliferation, strengthening of trust among states and regional stability.
3. The member states of the SCO express their deep concern in connection with the recent tension around the issue of South Ossetia, and call on the relevant parties to resolve existing problems in a peaceful way through dialogue, to make efforts for reconciliation and facilitation of negotiations.
The member states of the SCO welcome the approval on 12 August 2008 in Moscow of the six principles of settling the conflict in South Ossetia, and support the active role of Russia in promoting peace and cooperation in the region.
4. The member states of the SCO reaffirm their commitment to preventive diplomacy as an important tool for effective settlement of the problems of security protection and development, as well as to strengthening the key role of the UN in the field of crisis prevention.
The member states of the SCO proceed from the assumption that articles of the UN Charter, resolutions of the Security Council and norms of the international law serve as the legitimate base for conflict prevention, and the UN SC whose main responsibility lies in maintaining international peace and security is to play a defining role in this field.
Noting the increasingly active role and growing potential of regional organisations in the field of preventive diplomacy the member states of the SCO stand up for comprehensive development and enhancement of cooperation between the UN and regional bodies in accordance with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.
5. The member states of the Organisation stand up for broad international collaboration in resolving the problem of resources supply to satisfy the needs of mankind without damaging the environment, in achieving the goals of global development, e.g. closing the technological gap among states and elimination of poverty by providing all states equal access to the advantages of globalisation.
Against the backdrop of a slowdown in the growth of world economy pursuing a responsible currency and financial policy, control over the capital flowing, ensuring food and energy security have been gaining special significance.
6. The member states of the SCO express satisfaction at the increased interaction in fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism in the framework of the Organisation, and intend to raise cooperation of the member states in the field of ensuring security to a qualitatively new level by using the means of the Regional Antiterrorist Structure of the SCO.
The member states of the SCO reaffirm their commitment to strengthening the central coordinating role of the UN in mounting an international response to the threat of terrorism, to consistent implementation of the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy, earliest possible approval of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
The member states of the SCO are determined to counter the attempts of spreading terrorist ideology, stand ready to interact closely in implementing Resolution 1624 of the UN SC, as well as in promoting dialogue among civilisations and cultures. In this regard it is also essential to rely on the potential of civil society, business circles, mass media and non-governmental organisations.
7. The heads of state stress the importance of the adoption at the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly of Resolution 62/17 “Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security” and express their readiness to jointly assist the fulfillment of its recommendations.
The heads of state note the fruitful work under the auspices of the SCO on creating international legal framework and practical mechanisms of cooperation in the field of ensuring international information security.
8. The heads of state stand up for deepening interaction between the SCO and the United Nations Organisation, as well as the Commonwealth of Independent States, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Eurasian Economic Community, Collective Security Treaty Organisation, Economic Cooperation Organisation and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific on the basis of the signed memoranda of mutual understanding.
9. The heads of state underline the importance of developing dialogue among the member states of the Organisation over issues of effective and rational use of water and energy resources with due regard for the interests of parties.
Bringing together the efforts to set up close cooperation in industrial exploration of new energy technologies, e.g. in the context of fighting the global climate change, will assume special significance. In this regard greater emphasis will be put on the formulation of common approaches of the SCO member states towards overcoming negative consequences of the climate change and developing eco-friendly sources of energy.
10. The member states of the SCO reaffirming their commitment to basic documents and standards in the field of protection and encouragement of human rights:
– promote the observance of basic human rights and civil liberties and rights of national minorities in accordance with international obligations and national legislation;
– share experience in enforcing international treaties on human rights;
– implement existing agreements in the framework of multilateral and bilateral treaties in the field of social and cultural cooperation;
– launch active consultations and cooperation at the UN on human rights issues;
– maintain interaction of the SCO with other regional organisations and integration-oriented associations on issues of social and cultural cooperation and human rights encouragement.
11. The member states of the SCO state that the geopolitical and economic significance of Central Asia keeps growing. The dynamic evolution of the Organisation will contribute to strengthening the strategic stability, maintaining peace and security, establishing multifaceted economic, social and cultural interaction in the region.
12. External challenges and security threats are the factor which complicates the situation in the region. Current developments in Afghanistan, increasing volumes of drugs trafficking, transnational organised crime determine the need to step up interaction, among others by creating joint mechanisms of assessment, prevention and response to such challenges and threats.
The heads of state consider it important that the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operating in Afghanistan on the mandate of the UN Security Council pay greater attention to the task of battling the production and trafficking of the Afghan narcotics in interaction with the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, neighbouring and other interested countries. They suggest outlining this task in the mandate of the ISAF during a regular discussion of the situation in Afghanistan at the UN Security Council.
The member states of the SCO will continue to make joint efforts to set up close interaction with other interested states, international regional organisations with the aim of creating a wide partnership network on counteraction against the threats of terrorism and narcotics.
The heads of state underline the need to increase the activity of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group as part of the efforts concerning interaction with Afghanistan, to launch practical preparations for convening a special conference on Afghanistan under the auspices of the SCO to discuss issues of joint counteraction against terrorism, illegal circulation of narcotics and organised crime.
13. The heads of state believe that the creation of a nuclear free zone in Central Asia is an important step aimed to consolidate the regime of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In this regard they proceed from the assumption that the Semipalatinsk Treaty of 2006 will contribute to strengthening peace and security in the region and the fight against international nuclear terrorism by preventing nuclear materials and technologies from falling into the hands of non-state actors.
14. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is open for constructive dialogue with all international and regional organisations who share the objectives and principles of the SCO and conduct their activity in accordance with norms of the international law and the UN Charter. Proceeding from that the SCO stands ready to consider a possibility of establishing interaction with other international organisations with the aim of ensuring a stable, secure and harmonious development of the region with due regard and the fullest consideration for the interests of the SCO member states.