Abstract. The main directions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) activities in the sphere of regional and international security are revealed. The SCO role as a leading multilateral structure in the fight with terrorism, religious extremism and drug traffic is analyzed. The effectiveness of the SCO participation in solving the Afghan problem as well as efficiency of the SCO mediation function in border disputes is assessed. Attention is paid to the role of Russia in the context of maintaining security in Central Asia.