Federal Cabinet has approved accession to 30 agreements without any amendment aimed at becoming full member of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO), official sources told Business Recorder. The cabinet was informed at a recent meeting that the SCO, an inter-governmental organisation established on June 15, 2001, consists of six members viz. Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; and that Pakistan's request for full membership was acceded to during the SCO heads of State Summit in Ufa (Russia) in July 2015.
However, Pakistan requires signing and ratification of 30 agreements (including charter, treaty, agreements, conventions and protocols) of the SCO already concluded by the founding members. The cabinet was apprised that as these 30 agreements had already been adopted by the founding members, the new members would have to accept them without any amendment; that the agreements include safeguards and necessary reference to national laws and regulations; and that after due consultations, the following Ministries/organisations had given their concurrence for signing/accession to these agreements.
Ministry of Interior: (i) Shanghai Convention on combating terrorism, separatism and extremism;(ii) agreement on regional anti-terrorist structure between the member States of the SCO;(ii) protocol on amendments to the agreement on the regional anti-terrorism structure among the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation signed on June 7, 2002 in St. Petersburg (Russian Federation);(iii) agreement on the data bank of the regional anti-terrorist structure of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation;(iv) agreement on co-operation in identifying and blocking the channels of entry into the territory of member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation of the persons involved in terrorist, separatist and extremist activities;(v) agreement on the procedure for organising and conducting joint anti-terrorist operations in the territory of the member States of the SCO;(vi) agreement on the training of personnel for anti-terrorist units of the member States of the SCO;(vii) convention against terrorism of the SCO;(viii) agreement on co-operation in combating illicit trafficking in arms, ammunition and explosives between the governments of the member States of the SCO;(ix) agreement on co-operation in combating crime between the governments of the Member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
Ministry of Finance/Economic Affairs Division: (i) agreement on the procedure for the preparation and execution of the budget of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and ;(ii) protocol amending the agreement on the procedure for the preparation and execution of the budget of Shanghai Co-operation Organisation dated May 29,2003.
Ministry of Commerce: (i) memorandum between the governments of the member States of the SCO on fundamental goals and directions of regional economic co-operation and launch of the process for trade and investment facilitation and ;(ii) protocol of the memorandum between the governments of the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation on fundamental goals and directions of regional economic co-operation and launch of process for trade and investment facilitation September 14, 2001.
Narcotics Control Division: (i) agreement on co-operation in combating illicit traffic of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors among the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
Ministry of Defence: agreement on the procedure for preparation and conducting joint anti-terrorist exercises among the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
Ministry of IT and Telecom: agreement on co-operation in ensuring international information on security between the member States of the SCO.
State Bank of Pakistan/Ministry of Finance: agreement on the interbank co-operation (association) in the framework of the SCO.
National Disaster Management Authority: (i) agreement on disaster relief mutual assistance between the governments of the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation; and (ii) protocol to the agreement on disaster relief mutual assistance between the governments of the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
Ministry of Federal Education and Profession Training: agreement on co-operation in education between the governments of the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
Information Broadcasting Division: agreement on co-operation in culture between the governments of member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
Federal Board of Revenue: (i) agreement on co-operation and mutual assistance in customs affairs between the governments of the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation; and (ii) protocol on information sharing in the field of customs control over transportation of energy resources between the customs services of the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
Ministry of National Food Security and Research: agreement on co-operation in agriculture between governments of the member States of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: (i) charter of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation;(ii) privileges and immunities of the SCO;(iii) protocol on co-operation and co-ordination of activities between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member States of the SCO and ;(iii) treaty on long-term good-neighbourliness, friendship and co-operation between the member States of the SCO.