The CSTO Joint Staff is a permanent working body of the Organization responsible for preparing proposals on the military component of the CSTO, organizing and coordinating the practical implementation of decisions of the CSTO bodies on military cooperation.

The CSTO Joint Headquarters is entrusted with the tasks related to the formation, operation and use of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces), the preparation and conduct, jointly with the Ministries of Defense (General Headquarters of the Armed Forces) of the member states of the Organization, joint operational and combat training activities, military technical cooperation, coordinating joint training of personnel and specialists for the armed forces of the CSTO member states, as well as organizing the functioning of the Crisis Response Center CST.

The most important functions of the CSTO Joint Staff are the development of conceptual foundations for the formation of a collective security system, the preparation of proposals for the functioning and application of the CSTO Troops (Collective Forces), and the planning of joint training for the CSTO command and control forces.