SCO Heads of State Council declarations and other joint documents reaffirm the unwavering commitment by the member states to the idea that the United Nations retains its relevance and cannot be replaced. It stands at the core of international relations, enjoys one-of-a-kind legitimacy and has the necessary resources for coming up with adequate responses to all kinds of threats and challenges to international peace and security.
The SCO has had observer status at the UN General Assembly since 2 December 2004.
The General Assembly has been adopting a resolution titled Cooperation between the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation since 2009. Nine resolutions have been adopted to emphasise the importance of strengthening dialogue, cooperation and coordination between the UN system and the SCO (64/183 of 18 December 2009; 65/124 of 13 December 2010; 67/15 of 19 November 2012; 69/11 of 11 November 2014; 71/14 of 21 November 2016; 73/334 of 30 August 2019; 75/268 of 25 March 2021; A/77/L.107 of 1 September 2023 and 79/332 of 5 September 2025).
There has been a proactive effort to step up cooperation with the UN Secretariat. On 5 April 2010, the UN and SCO secretariats signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation, which provides for cooperation on security, economic and humanitarian matters. The SCO and UN secretariats have also been active in holding joint high-level events.
The SCO Secretariat holds regular consultations with various units within the UN Secretariat, including the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and also exchanges information with the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
SCO’s cooperation with the United National Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is governed by the Memorandum of Understanding dated 14 June 2011. The SCO Secretariat has been holding joint events with UNODC as part of the meetings of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs since 2017.
SCO’s cooperation with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is governed by the Memorandum of Understanding dated 21 August 2012. The notable results of their cooperation include ESCAP providing expert and technical support during the drafting of the 2014 Agreement between SCO Governments to Create Favourable Conditions for International Road Transport.
On 10 June 2018, the SCO Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Qingdao.
On 14 June 2019, the SCO Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Bishkek.
On 28 February 2024, the SCO Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi.
On 2 November 2019, the SCO Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United National Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Tashkent.
On 14 June 2019, the SCO Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UN Travel) in Bishkek.