This SCO interaction mechanism was established in accordance with the Regulations on Meetings of Heads of Ministries and/or Agencies of the SCO Member States (approved by the Decision of the Heads of State of the SCO Member States of 29 May 2003), at the initiative of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2021, with the aim of implementing the Concept of Cooperation of the Member States in the Field of Digitalization and ICT of 14 June 2019 and the Statement of the SCO Council of Heads of State on Cooperation in the Field of the Digital Economy of 10 November 2020.
The functions of coordinating the preparation and holding of the Meetings are assigned to the Special Working Group on Modern Information and Telecommunication Technologies, established in 2006.
According to the Concept, the following tasks are envisaged within the framework of this group:
– development of international documents;
– exchange of knowledge and experience and conduct of joint research by research and educational institutions and organizations, and engagement of experts in the field of digitalization and ICT;
– holding joint events on the development of human capital in the field of digitalization and ICT;
– exchange of experience on the application of new information technologies in public administration and business, as well as in public relations;
– providing opportunities for interaction, establishing partnerships and further cooperation between companies (organizations) of the SCO Member States and other countries in the field of ICT;
– implementation of joint projects in the territories of innovation clusters and technoparks of the SCO Member States using high-tech, knowledge-intensive solutions and digital technologies;
– exchange of experience on the incubation and acceleration of startups.
A total of five meetings have been held:
1. 25 November 2021, via videoconference, at the initiative of and under the chairmanship of the Uzbek side;
2. 13 May 2023, also via videoconference, under the chairmanship of the Indian side;
3. 1 February 2024 in Almaty, under the chairmanship of the Kazakh side;
4. 17 June 2025 in Karamay, PRC, under the chairmanship of the Chinese side;
5. 27 April 2026 in Bishkek, under the chairmanship of the Kyrgyz side.
Main outcomes of the activities of the SCO interaction mechanism in the field of ICT:
– the Programme of Cooperation between the Competent Authorities of the SCO Member States on the Development of Digital Literacy and the Programme of Cooperation between the Competent Authorities of the SCO Member States on the Development of Artificial Intelligence were adopted (SCO Council of Heads of State, 15–16 September 2022, Samarkand);
– by decision of the SCO Council of Heads of Government of 1 November 2022, the Programme of Cooperation of the SCO Member States on the Development of the Digital Economy was approved;
– at the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in New Delhi in 2023, the Statement on Cooperation in the Field of Digital Transformation was adopted;
– following the 4th Meeting of Heads of Ministries and Agencies of the SCO Member States Responsible for the Development of ICT (17 June 2025, Karamay), the Action Plan of the SCO Member States in the Field of Digital Transformation was adopted;
– at the Tianjin Summit on 1 September 2025, the Statement of the SCO Council of Heads of State on Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of the Digital Economy was adopted;
– at the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Bishkek on 1 September 2026, the Concept for the Establishment of Regional Data Processing Centres, High-Performance Computing Capacities and the Development of Artificial Intelligence within the Framework of the SCO was adopted, and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence was signed.
With the coordinating role and direct participation of the Meeting of Heads of Ministries and Agencies of the SCO Member States Responsible for the Development of ICT, a series of specialized international SCO forums has been held:
– since 2023, the China-SCO Forum on the Development of Cooperation in the Field of Digital Technologies has been held annually in Karamay, China, and has established itself as an authoritative platform for exchanging experience and demonstrating achievements in the field of digital technologies. The fourth forum was held on 11 June 2026;
– in February 2024, the first SCO Digital Forum was held in Almaty;
– on 27 April 2026, the Artificial Intelligence Forum "AI in the SCO Space: Trust and Sustainable Development" was held in Bishkek, becoming an expert and dialogue platform for discussing practical aspects of the introduction and use of AI technologies.