Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Further Deepening International Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence
We, the leaders of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as the “SCO”)—the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan,
Guided by the SCO Charter and the “Shanghai Spirit,” which is based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and pursuit of common development,
Recognizing that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization has become a new driver of economic and social development,
Emphasizing that in order to achieve the sustainable development of the AI industry, unleash more of its dividends, and overcome potential risks and challenges posed by AI, it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation in the field of AI,
Hereby declare:
The member states will take the following actions:
— On the basis of fully considering the priorities of member states and their respective domestic laws and regulations, support the central role of the United Nations in AI decision-making, welcome the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the resolution on “Strengthening International Cooperation on Capacity-Building for Artificial Intelligence,” as well as the resolution on “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Creating New Opportunities for Sustainable Development in Central Asia”;
— Welcome the proposal of the “Inclusive AI Capacity-Building Program,” the establishment of a “Friends of International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building” group, the convening of the international “AI Journey” conference, and other initiatives of SCO member states in the AI field;
— Strengthen cooperation on AI infrastructure, promote interconnectivity of AI infrastructure, and, on a voluntary basis, advance international cooperation in AI applications;
— Promote cooperation in AI talent cultivation, expand inter-university cooperation and academic exchanges, and facilitate the sharing of scientific research outcomes and educational resources;
— Promote investment cooperation in the AI field, give full play to the role of the SCO Interbank Consortium, fully tap into the investment potential of SCO member states, and, on a voluntary basis, provide resource support for AI investment projects of member states;
— On the basis of respecting national sovereignty, develop a dialogue partner mechanism in the field of AI, strengthen coordination of development strategies, governance rules, and technical standards, develop safe and responsible AI, and create trustworthy AI systems;
— Promote the concept of reciprocity in global AI governance, and in international AI regulation consistently uphold a balance between development and security.
All member states will work to promote the development of artificial intelligence in a direction that is more open, inclusive, beneficial for all, fair, and oriented toward the good.
Tianjin, September 1, 2025
Tianjin Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (AI part)
The member states support strengthening the work of SCO technology park networks and innovation clusters, and take note of the proposal to formulate an SCO Foresight on Future Technologies as well as to leverage the potential of the international AI center “Alem.AI” to drive innovation.
The member states emphasize that, in line with the UN General Assembly resolution on Strengthening International Cooperation on Capacity-Building for Artificial Intelligence, all countries enjoy the equal right to develop and use AI.
The member states state that they will uphold the principle of putting people first and the concept of AI for good, jointly guard against the risks of AI technologies, and continuously enhance the safety, controllability, reliability, transparency, inclusiveness, trustworthiness, and fairness of AI. To this end, the member states advocate the implementation of the Roadmap for the Implementation of the Development Plan for Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence among SCO Member States (June 12, 2025, Chengdu).
The member states welcome the UN General Assembly resolution adopted on July 25, 2025, on The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Creating New Opportunities for Sustainable Development in Central Asia, and note the initiative to establish a Central Asia AI Center in Dushanbe.
The member states also take note of the initiatives to establish an SCO AI Cooperation Mechanism and a Frontier Technology Cooperation Mechanism.