THE Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State Summit, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from August 31 to September 1, 2026, marked the completion of a quarter century of the organization’s existence. Convened under the theme, “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity,” the summit was more than a commemorative gathering. It provided an opportunity for member states to assess the organization’s achievements and chart a strategic course for the next 25 years. Its expanding membership, growing economic weight and increasing role in regional security, connectivity and development have given it a stronger voice at a time when the international system is undergoing profound geopolitical transformation. At Bishkek, SCO members emphasized deeper cooperation in security, trade and technology while reaffirming their commitment to international law and the UN Charter. They supported a more representative and equitable multipolar world order and called for reforms in global governance that would provide states with a more equal voice and partnership. The declaration also called for responsible use of artificial intelligence, reforms in global economic governance, an end to double standards on economic development and human rights and rejection of bloc-based confrontation.
The SCO reiterated that it remains a non-military organization and that international disputes should be addressed peacefully through dialogue and negotiations. More than 20 additional documents were signed covering security, drug trafficking, technology, transport, energy and environmental cooperation. Particular emphasis was placed on regional security, counter-narcotics efforts, transport connectivity and logistics. Cooperation between the SCO and the African Union Commission was also encouraged. Security cooperation remains one of the organization’s principal pillars. Proposals for an International Centre for Combating Organized Crime and an SCO Centre for Strategic Studies could strengthen institutional capacity to address emerging threats.
SCO is seeking to strengthen trade and transport corridors connecting the Eurasian heartland with global markets.For Central Asia, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway is particularly significant. By linking Central Asian economies more closely with China and international markets, the project could enhance regional trade while strengthening Eurasia’s emerging connectivity architecture.The proposal for the SCO Development Bank provides new sources of financing for infrastructure and development. Greater use of national currencies and diversified payment mechanisms could also reduce vulnerability to external financial pressures. Currency diversification does not necessarily mean abandoning the US dollar; rather, it reflects the desire of several member states to develop alternative mechanisms for trade and financial settlements. This will facilitate trade and commerce between SCO states at regional level besides having an alternative way out from current financial exploitation.
The expanded SCO Plus format has also considerably widened the organization’s diplomatic reach. Beyond its full members, the participation of observer states, dialogue partners and international organizations has created a broader platform connecting countries from Central Asia, South Asia, West Asia, the Caucasus and Southeast Asia.
The SCO increasingly presents itself as an inclusive, Eurasia-centered platform compatible with a multipolar international order. Its preferred principles are dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over zero-sum competition and collective solutions over unilateral action.Yet translating this vision into practice will not be easy. West Asian instability, energy security and the situation in Afghanistan will remain important regional concerns. Developments involving Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional tensions have direct consequences for energy supplies, trade and financial markets. Afghanistan’s continuing instability and tensions with Pakistan also have implications for terrorism, migration, trade and regional connectivity.The SCO’s real test, therefore, is whether its considerable diplomatic weight can be translated into practical mechanisms for addressing these interconnected challenges.
Twenty-five years after its establishment, the SCO has become an important institution in Eurasian geopolitics. Its real achievement lies in maintaining a platform for dialogue among countries with divergent interests. As the organization enters its second quarter century, its credibility will depend less on the number of declarations it produces and more on its ability to deliver tangible outcomes: secure trade routes, stronger connectivity, energy cooperation, digital infrastructure, financial mechanisms, counter-terrorism coordination and effective responses to transnational threats. SCO slams the attacks on Iran and new financial and economic sanctions against Tehran. The emerging security situation in Afghanistan remained a point of concern for the forum. Indeed, Pakistan is being targeted from Afghan soil through massive infiltration of terrorists.
Pakistan’s assumption of the SCO chairmanship for 2026–27 provides an important diplomatic opportunity to shape the organization’s agenda on regional economic integration, trade facilitation, energy security, connectivity and counter-terrorism. Pakistan will host the next SCO Heads of State Summit in Islamabad in 2027. Lahore will be tourism center of SCO for 2026-27. This provides Pakistan an opportunity to project its economic and geostrategic potential as a bridge linking South Asia with Central Asia, China, the Middle East and the wider Eurasian region. For Pakistan, the SCO chairmanship is both an opportunity and a responsibility. Islamabad can help make the organization more economically connected, politically relevant and practically oriented.
Over the next 25 years, the SCO should translate the principle of multipolarity into practical cooperation by deepening economic interdependence, strengthening regional security and sustaining a culture of dialogue among its diverse members. By doing so, the SCO can demonstrate that effective multilateralism remains viable and indeed essential in an increasingly fragmented world. Indeed, the world is being exploited under the unipolarity. Only multipolar character of the world can guarantee peace, stability and economic sustainability.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
