Rules & Regulations: The ECO cultural Institute (ECI), Tehran is governed by the approved Rules of Procedures, Staff Regulations & Financial Regulations based on the features contained in the Baic Documents of the Institute i.e., Charter, signed by the eight Member States on 15^th March, 1995 at Islamabad, Pakistan.

Background of Establishment: The ECO Cultural Institute, as mentioned in the Preamble of the Charter, has been ‘revitalized’ after the closure of the former RCD Cultural Institute in 1983 which had been established in June, 1966 with its headquarters at Tehran and branches in Pakistan and Turkey.  Following the expansion of ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) to ten Member States of the Region having a common cultural heritage, revival of the cultural Institute was visualized in Article II of the Treaty of Izmir with the objective “to consolidate cultural affinities and spiritual and fraternal ties that bind the people of the Member States through social and cultural channels of thought and action” and was confirmed in the Istanbul Declaration of 1993.  Subsequently, the Charter of the ECO Cultural Institute was prepared in an Expert Group Meeting held at Tehran in October 1994 and later, approved by the Fifth Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on 21-23 January, 1995.

The formal endorsement of the revival of the Cultural Institute under its present name was finally, manifested through the signing of its Charter at the Third ECO summit Meeting held at Islamabad on 14-15 March, 1995 by the Member countries of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey, and Turkmenistan.  This event demonstrated the common resolve and true desire of the leadership of these countries to strengthen bonds of affinity and spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation aimed at creating conditions for sustained socio-economic welfare of the Member Countries.

Compared to it’s predecessor, the ECO Cultural Institute, has not only an extended membership but it has also been assigned a wide ranging role for the promotion of cooperation among peoples of the Region in general and mass media, scholars, intellectuals and artists in particular.

Aims and Functions: Having been assigned manifold functions, under Article I of the Charter, the Institute has to function as an initiating, coordinating, financing, and monitoring agency within the framework of ECO for the promotion of the following activities: