THE 24th summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was dominated by the “Shanghai Spirit,” Xi’s five proposals and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s key strategies for enhancing cooperation, socio-economic integration, greater regional connectivity, bolstering global peace, security and stability and shaping a new democratic, equitable international political and economic order. The summit invited the global community to join the initiative. The first “Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO” and the inaugural “SCO Plus” meeting held great significance, vividly reflecting greater recognition of the “Shanghai Spirit.
The SCO has gradually transformed from a regional organization into a formidable force with global influence over the past 23 years, which bodes well for achieving and maintaining regional peace, stability and harmony while mitigating the spillover effects of global imperialistic forces that rely on protectionism instead of shared prosperity, bloc mentality instead of openness, destruction instead of development and military solutions instead of promoting dialogue, diplomacy and development. This transformation protects SCO members from the chaos of the world and has steered the organization towards common security, inclusiveness, constructivism, productivity and, importantly, positivity.
The adoption of the “Astana Declaration” is a great achievement showing strategic importance of the SCO, Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship, member countries emphasize on economic integration, food & energy cooperation, trade, finance and information security showing collective wisdom and will of the SCO family spreading spirits of peace, progress, prosperity and persuasions of common goals.
The Astana Declaration’s endorsement of the “Initiative On World Unity for a Just Peace, Harmony and Development,” initially proposed by Kazakhstan, has been termed a strategic victory for the “Shanghai Spirit.” The collective consensus of the participants regarding the SCO’s role in bolstering global peace, security and stability and shaping a new democratic order, has been labeled as one of the key strategic priorities. The adoption of the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, outlining collective contributions and recognizing Belarus’s new membership status, highlights the growing importance of the SCO and its development orientations among member countries, the region and beyond.
The inclusion of programs to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2025-2027, along with the Anti-Drug Strategy and its Action Program, highlights the pivotal role of common security and political understanding. Moreover, strategies for energy cooperation and economic development until 2030 showcase the SCO’s common goals. Resolutions on investor cooperation, eco-tourism and financing SCO projects further reinforce these objectives.
Signing of a memorandum of understanding between the SCO Secretariat and the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center to combat illicit drug trafficking and the adoption of an interaction plan among member states on international information security issues showing SCO role in regional and global health governance and digitalization which is a good omen.
Recognition of the principles of good neighborliness, trust and partnership, ensuring the safety of drinking water and sanitation and promoting effective waste management and last but not least, an agreement on environmental protection cooperation among SCO governments highlighting collective wisdom and will for safety, security and systematic persuasions of social development, protection of human values successfully combating against non-state actors.
Undoubtedly the Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech during the SCO Plus format meeting emphasizing the organizations role as a guarantor of common and sustainable security despite turbulence in international relations.
Xi’s five proposals emphasizing solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship and fairness and justice received the highest recognition. Definitely, these proposals are not only a summary of past successful experiences, but also a necessary choice for responding to various changes in the future.
President Xi’s speech highlighted the SCOs commitments and the Chinese wisdom to respond to emerging security challenges through the spirits of dialogue, coordination and win-win cooperation, acting as an anchor of peace and stability in the Eurasian continent.
Xi also presented an economic recipe to successfully manage prevailing trade hegemony through technological innovation and inclusiveness, stimulating the endogenous economic dynamism of its member states. Last but not least, he showcased a political model that will resist interventionism through mutual support and consensus-building and jointly build the international order of multilateralism.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed several key strategies to foster multilateral cooperation among the SCO. His proposal to adopt a resolution supporting Kazakhstan’s Initiative On World Unity for Just Peace, Harmony, and Development, timed for the 80th anniversary of the UN and the 20th anniversary of SCO-UN cooperation, highlights the universal spirit of peace, stability, harmony, and development. Tokayev emphasized greater market access, trade, economic ties, enhanced BRI connectivity, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the North-South Corridor, and further development of regional railways, vividly reflecting Kazakhstan’s role as a Middle Corridor. He also suggested collaborative efforts to combat climate change, highlighting the importance of developing effective measures to address the degradation of internal water bodies and introducing new water-saving technologies.
In summary the SCO 2024 is steadfast in its commitment to promoting and consolidating comprehensive peace, security, and stability, and in building a new international political and economic order characterized by democracy and justice, playing an increasingly significant role in this process. President Xi’s keynote speech highlighted the true essence of Shanghai Spirits.
The Astana Declaration is an antidote to increasing bloc confrontation, decoupling, delinking and over capacity promoting equal opportunity, fair play, economic globalization and international cooperation. Thus SCO expansion is necessary for greater socio-economic integration, promotion of Global South, South-South Cooperation.
Xi’s five proposals call for solidarity among countries, achieving world justice, harmony and development and rightly emphasizes on establishing a new security system, a fair economic environment, and a clean world, rejecting the Cold War mentality and power geopolitics.
—The writer is President, Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge, Executive Director, CSAIS, regional expert: China, CPEC & BRI.
