Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Islamabad, Pakistan, Oct. 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Over the past two decades, the SCO has maintained its vitality and become an influential regional and international organization in an international landscape fraught with changes and turbulence.

by Xinhua writer Tai Beiping

BEIJING -- At the just-concluded meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, government leaders from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members called for deepening cooperation in a range of areas including economy and trade, security, connectivity, energy, finance and green development.

Participants to the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO agreed that in the face of a complex and volatile international environment, all parties need to actively implement the outcomes of the Astana Summit, work closely in solidarity and coordination.

Since its inception in 2001, the SCO has been committed to strengthening mutual trust, dialogue and cooperation, with its ever-increasing role in bolstering security cooperation and economic integration for its members.

ENHANCING SECURITY, STABILITY

"From the very beginning, the SCO Charter was signed based on the fundamental principle of cooperation in countering the types of threats that are still relevant today -- terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as drug trafficking, transnational crime and illegal migration," said Evgenia Makhmutova, associate professor at the department of political science of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

The member states work on the basis of a list of principles, among which are mutual respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs, the scholar told Xinhua.

With effective multilateral cooperation and coordination, the SCO has been playing a positive role in improving security situation of the region over the past more than two decades.

Through its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, SCO member countries have been able to enhance intelligence sharing and operational coordination, hence more effective efforts in combating terrorism.

Another important aspect of security cooperation is the exchange of experience and best practices in law enforcement, which encompasses training programs, staff exchanges and technical assistance among member states.

Energy security also holds an important place on the SCO agenda. In recent years, efforts have been directed toward creating a unified energy market and developing joint projects in the energy field.

Under evolving circumstances featuring new geopolitical factors and technological advancements, the SCO is also adapting its activities to new challenges, such as protectionism, cybersecurity and climate change, making the organization more flexible and capable of effectively responding to modern-day threats.

A drone photo taken on June 23, 2024 shows a view of Rashakai Special Economic Zone under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Nowshera, Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. [Photo/Xinhua]

TOWARD ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Over the years, the SCO has made remarkable achievements in boosting trade and facilitating economic integration among member states.

Sohail Mahmood, former foreign secretary of Pakistan and director general of think tank the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, said that trade among SCO members had grown significantly since its founding, reflecting the organization's growing influence and global relevance.

As a member state, Pakistan values the SCO mechanism for securing economic cooperation. Amina Masood, professor of the faculty of social sciences of International Islamic University Islamabad, said it's important to take advantage of the SCO meeting in Islamabad to increase the country's trade and technical partnership with Central Asian and South Asian countries.

Economic cooperation has "not only greatly supported socio-economic development in the SCO community, but also contributed to regional and global economic growth and development," the professor said.

The 10-member SCO, which covers over half of the Eurasian landmass, has maintained trade growth and closer economic interactions thanks to better connectivity provided by enhanced infrastructure.

In the region, landmark projects, notably the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline, the Chinese-built new North-South highway in Kyrgyzstan, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor and the Eurasian transport corridor, have greatly facilitated economic exchanges.

At the same time, with a large combined population, the SCO represents vast market potential. Collective economic development of all members helps fuel demand for goods and services, which in turn drives vigorous growth of the region's economies.

An aerial drone photo taken on June 23, 2024 shows Tianhan Wetland Park in Hanzhong City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

GROWING INFLUENCE, VITALITY

Over the past two decades, the SCO has maintained its vitality and become an influential regional and international organization in an international landscape fraught with changes and turbulence.

The Shanghai Spirit ensures that every member state has an equal voice, regardless of economic scale, military potential, or international influence, setting an example of multilateral cooperation.

"As the world today is going through a phase of disintegration of the Western-centred system of international security, and the countries of the Global South are striving for the status of equal and sovereign world players, the potential for the SCO to become a platform for the integration of non-Western forces is noticeably expanding," Makhmutova told Xinhua.

"The growing number of countries interested in this format undoubtedly enhances the status and credibility of the organization," said the Russian scholar.

As its influence grows, the scope of cooperation for SCO, which currently groups China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with two observer countries and 14 dialogue partners, is also expanding, thereby adding more vitality to the organization.

China, the SCO rotating presidency for 2024-2025, has put forward a central theme of "SCO Year of Sustainable Development."

Under this theme, closer cooperation will be fostered in a wide range of areas, such as poverty alleviation, food security, public health, development financing, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity.