The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has grown significantly since it was created 25 years ago. Speaking at the SCO summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the organisation has become one of the most important centres of a changing, multipolar world. The SCO was established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It originally focused mainly on regional security, including cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The Shanghai cooperation organisation Since then, the organisation has expanded. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, Iran became a full member in 2023, and Belarus joined in 2024. The SCO now has 10 member countries: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The Shanghai cooperation organisation Putin said the SCO is now the largest regional association in the world. He highlighted its enormous population and economic strength, saying almost half of the world's people live in its member countries and that they account for more than one-third of global GDP. Official information from Uzbekistan puts the combined population of the 10 SCO members at around 3.4 billion people, or more than 42% of the world's population. Their combined nominal GDP is above $26 trillion, while their share of global GDP based on purchasing power is more than one-third. The organisation also covers a huge area. Its members span about 36 million square kilometres, covering a large part of Eurasia. The SCO is not a formal military alliance. Its members cooperate in areas such as security, trade, energy, transport, technology, investment and cultural exchanges. Decisions are made through consensus, meaning all member states must agree. The 2026 summit is particularly important because it marks the 25th anniversary of the SCO. Leaders including Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are attending the meeting, highlighting the organisation's growing diplomatic importance.