♤ SCO was formulated in 1996 with five countries- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, China, Tajikistan.

♤ Uzbekistan joined in the group in 2001. Its headquarters is in Beijing.

♤ India and Pakistan, became permanent members of the body in 2017.

♤ The primary motive behind the formation was to ensure stability along the borders.

♤ SCO now represents over 40 per cent of humanity and nearly 20 per cent of global GDP.