Meaning
The RATS – Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is a permanent body of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. It was created to promote cooperation among SCO member states against the “three evils”:
- terrorism
- separatism
- extremism
It mainly works through coordination, information sharing, capacity building and joint counter-terror cooperation among the competent authorities of member states.
Background
RATS was established as part of the SCO’s security architecture. It reflects the fact that Central Asia, Russia, China, India, Pakistan and other SCO members face cross-border security challenges such as terrorism, radicalisation, separatist violence, cyber misuse and narcotics-linked terror financing.
The Ministry of External Affairs has described SCO-RATS as a permanent body of the SCO intended to facilitate coordination and interaction between competent authorities of SCO member states in the fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism. Its main functions are coordination and information sharing.
Structure
RATS has two main components:
- Council of RATS: decision-making body consisting of representatives of SCO member states.
- Executive Committee: permanent working body that carries out day-to-day coordination, analysis and implementation.
The official RATS platform lists its work around legal framework, security situation, cooperation with competent bodies of SCO member states, and engagement with partner organisations.
Main Functions
- facilitates intelligence and information sharing among SCO members
- coordinates action against terrorism, separatism and extremism
- helps maintain databases related to terrorist threats and organisations
- supports joint exercises, meetings, seminars and capacity-building activities
- promotes cooperation against cyber-enabled terrorism
- assists in drafting legal instruments and cooperation mechanisms within the SCO framework
- supports coordination among border, security, intelligence and law-enforcement agencies
The SCO notes that RATS helped draft the SCO Convention on Combating Terrorism and Extremism, along with decisions regulating practical cooperation among competent agencies of member states.
India and RATS
India became a full member of the SCO in 2017 and has since participated in SCO-RATS activities. For India, RATS is important because it provides a multilateral platform to raise concerns around cross-border terrorism, radicalisation, terror financing and misuse of digital platforms.
India has also hosted RATS-related activities. In December 2023, India’s National Security Council Secretariat organised a practical seminar on countering the misuse of internet and new information technologies for terrorist, separatist and extremist purposes under the SCO-RATS framework.
In 2026, India again emphasised the importance of RATS in cyber-related counter-terror cooperation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India values the work of SCO-RATS and appreciated its recent work in the cyber domain to prevent the spread of extremist ideology.
Current Relevance
RATS has become more relevant because terrorism is no longer limited to physical networks. It now involves:
- online radicalisation
- encrypted communication
- terror financing through digital channels
- lone-wolf attacks
- drones and new technologies
- narcotics-terror links
- cross-border safe havens
- propaganda through social media
For India, the platform matters because it allows terrorism to be discussed in a wider Eurasian forum that includes countries like Russia, China, Pakistan and Central Asian states.
In September 2025, the 44th meeting of the SCO-RATS Council in Kyrgyzstan strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, showing the continued use of RATS as a platform for counter-terror coordination.
Significance
- gives SCO a permanent counter-terror institutional mechanism
- supports intelligence and information sharing
- helps coordinate responses to regional terror threats
- provides India a platform to raise cross-border terrorism concerns
- strengthens cooperation against cyber radicalisation and extremist propaganda
- links counter-terrorism with border security and regional stability
- supports capacity building among member states
Concerns
- SCO members do not always define terrorism, separatism and extremism in the same way.
- India and Pakistan being in the same organisation creates political complications.
- China’s approach to extremism, especially in Xinjiang, has generated global human-rights concerns.
- RATS is more useful for coordination than for direct enforcement.
- Geopolitical rivalries within SCO can weaken consensus.
- Counter-terror platforms can be misused if “extremism” is defined too broadly.
- Intelligence sharing depends on trust, which is limited among some member states.
Way Forward
RATS should focus on practical and non-controversial areas of cooperation such as cyberterrorism, terror financing, narcotics-terror links, border security and online radicalisation.
For India, the platform should be used to push for:
- clear condemnation of cross-border terrorism
- action against terror financing
- accountability for safe havens
- cooperation on cyber radicalisation
- information sharing on extremist groups
- stronger legal cooperation among SCO members
At the same time, India must remain cautious because SCO is a geopolitically complex platform where China and Pakistan also shape narratives.
Conclusion
RATS – Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure is the main counter-terror body of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. It focuses on terrorism, separatism and extremism through coordination, information sharing and cooperation among member states.
For India, RATS is useful as a Eurasian counter-terror platform, especially for raising concerns on cross-border terrorism and cyber radicalisation. However, its effectiveness depends on political trust, common definitions and willingness of member states to act beyond statements.
