MINSK, 11 February (BelTA) – Belarusian parliamentarians have ratified the agreement on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Anti-Drug Center, which was signed in Tianjin on 1 September 2025, BelTA has learned.
Presenting the draft law, Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus Ivan Kubrakov stated that the ratification will enable a more synchronized and effective response at all points of the illicit drug chain (production, supply, distribution, and consumption), while also targeting the organizers and distributors.
The agreement formally establishes the Anti-Drug Center of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO ADC). Its purpose is to facilitate interaction and coordinate cooperation among the respective authorities of SCO member states in combating the illegal trafficking of drugs and their precursors.
As outlined by the House of Representatives’ Standing Commission on National Security, the SCO ADC is responsible for identifying and suppressing transnational organized crime groups involved in the illegal trafficking of drugs and their precursors; conducting international searches for individuals involved in related crimes, upon request from the respective authorities of SCO members; organizing, conducting, and coordinating international anti-drug operations and investigative measures; establishing, maintaining, and administering the SCO ADC database; and collecting, storing, protecting, analyzing, and exchanging information related to illegal drug and precursor trafficking, providing it to the respective authorities of the parties upon request.
According to the minister of internal affairs, the draft law on ratification designates the Ministry of Internal Affairs as the coordinator among Belarus’ government agencies cooperating with the SCO Anti-Drug Center. These agencies include the State Customs Committee, the State Border Committee, the State Security Committee, the Investigative Committee, and the State Control Committee.
Under the agreement, the SCO Anti-Drug Center comprises a council and an executive committee. The council is established to ensure the center’s continuous operation, requiring each party to maintain a permanent presence at the center’s location. The executive committee consists of a director and a team of 25 to 32 personnel, necessary for the center’s normal functioning.
“To ensure the operational capacity of the SCO Anti-Drug Center, it is proposed that each SCO member state appoint a permanent representative to the center,” said Ivan Kubrakov. “This representative will be seconded to work on the executive committee of the SCO Anti-Drug Center in Dushanbe, in accordance with procedures established by national legislation.”
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