SCO Secretariat

The Secretariat is the permanent executive body of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, who is approved by the Heads of State Council upon the nomination by the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The Secretary-General is appointed from among the nationals of the Member States on a rotational basis in the order of the Russian alphabetical listing of the Member States for a term of three years without the right of renewal.

Deputy Secretaries-General are approved by the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs upon the nomination of the SCO Council of National Coordinators.

The SCO Secretariat carries out its mission of coordinating and providing information and analytical support for the Organisation’s activities, as well as conducting preliminary legal and financial reviews of draft agreements and regulatory documents. The Secretariat also serves as the depositary of documents adopted within the framework of the Organisation, provides organisational and technical support for meetings and sessions of SCO bodies, and coordinates the SCO’s interaction with observer states, dialogue partners, and international organisations.

The position of SCO Secretary-General has been held by:

2004–2006 - Zhang Deguang (People’s Republic of China);

2007–2009 - Bolat Nurgaliyev (Republic of Kazakhstan);

2010–2012 - Muratbek Imanaliyev (Kyrgyz Republic);

2013–2015 - Dmitry Mezentsev (Russian Federation);

2016–2018 - Rashid Alimov (Republic of Tajikistan);

2019–2021 - Vladimir Norov (Republic of Uzbekistan);

2022–2024 - Zhang Ming (People’s Republic of China);

From January 2025 to present - Nurlan Yermekbayev (Republic of Kazakhstan).

An institution of permanent representatives of the Member States to the SCO Secretariat operates within the framework of the Organisation.

The Secretariat staff consists of 36 officials seconded by the Member States according to country quotas. The Secretariat structure includes six departments dealing with political, economic, and humanitarian, as well as information, analytical, and administrative and legal issues, and international relations.