PAKISTAN has magnificently conducted the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on October 15-16, 2024 at Islamabad. It was a great event in the recent history of Pakistan and indeed a great test for the incumbent Government. The Government, the State, State’s institutions and specially the masses deserve compliments on this great achievement. This event has restored trust of the Pakistani state and it’s Government at international and regional level on many aspects. Upon successful conclusion of the Meeting, a Joint Communiqué, agreed upon by all member states, was issued. The joint communiqué stressed for pursuance of two significant aspects; a) the SCO’s initiative “On World Unity for a Just Peace, Harmony and Development” and b) the dialogue about “One Earth. One Family. One Future”.
World unity for a just peace, harmony and development is a joint proposal of the SCO member states for adaptation through a UN General Assembly Resolution. The basic idea behind this proposal is demand for establishment of international unity which is considered as a precursor for just peace and peace is essential for promotion of harmony among global society. All these aspects are essentially required for a collective development of international society including the nation states. This proposal must be presented and adopted by the UN General Assembly for the common good of the international community. The contemporary international community must take this proposal very seriously for the common benefit of every individual, irrespective of religion, region, caste or creed.
It is in line with the Islamic teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. Besides, it is in line with what was agreed during the Peace Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Peace and harmony is the most needed aspect of the contemporary world, since there are scores of conflicts going-on at the level of intra-state, inter-state and at regional and global level. Europe and America must understand this glaring requirement, since most of the conflicts originated because of power politics among major powers. Since Russia and China are the originators of this concept from the forum of SCO, therefore, the United States and major European states need to support the proposal.
The second aspect, “One Earth, One Family, One Future” is indeed a continuation of the first proposal. This idea is asking for the introduction of a new and most needed form of international relations, which should revolve around cooperation based on the common destiny of the entire world. Since all human beings inhabit the same earth, all are inter-dependent as one family, thus need to pursue a common future with optimism for peace, harmony and development. This idea has resemblance with the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); the common destiny for all. This will be a new peace international agreement based on “mutual respect, justice, equality and mutually beneficial cooperation, as well as the formation of a common vision of the idea of creating a community of common destiny of mankind and the development of dialogue”.
On World Unity for Just Peace and Harmony, aims at strengthening confidence-building measures and maintaining stable development of all countries of the world. It is worth mentioning that at the time of international crises, this initiative from the SCO is a sincere attempt for ending the conflicts and promoting cooperation and peace. This initiative from the SCO forum will greatly help the world in understanding the true objectives of this organization (SCO) and its future roles towards international peace and harmony by ending the conflicts through hard power. It is worth mentioning that SCO member states have almost over 40% of the global population, 27 % of world’s GDP and about 80% of Eurasian landmass.
By virtue of its geopolitical location, Pakistan is in the vicinity of world’s major economies and emerging regional markets. Besides, it occupies a strategic location viz-a viz great powers and their strategic interests. Therefore, “Pakistan can utilize economic tools like trade, energy and investment, infrastructure development to further its geopolitical and geo-economic objectives in a befitting manner. For Pakistan, the SCO is the most vital cooperative forum. Through this forum, Pakistan can boost trade and commerce from the member states of SCO. Being an emerging security bloc against terrorism, SCO can greatly help Pakistan in reducing its traditional and non-traditional security threats.
SCO member states are fully cognizant of the contribution and sacrifices Pakistan has rendered for the global peace and security by combating terrorism in the first two decades of the 21st century. Besides, Pakistan desires that the SCO should play a decisive role towards resolution of the unresolved disputes like Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine. SCO is not a military alliance, yet it seeks to address major security threats in the region and establish a peaceful environment that boosts trade and cooperation among the member states. It offers an opportunity to deliberate on the pressing energy, trade and economy issues and take steps towards desired outcomes.
23rd Meeting of SCO’s Heads of Government, Pakistan mainly stressed to strengthen the existing SCO mechanisms while addressing global issues such as food security, climate change, international peace and counter-terrorism. Pakistan visualized SCO for galvanization of the Shanghai Spirit to strengthen the mandate of the forum while reducing the risks of conflict, fostering confidence and promoting stability. As a host member state for the 23rd Meeting of SCO’s Heads of Government, Pakistan earned a lot of respect and goodwill from the rest of SCO member states.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
