The SCO Secretary-General Participates in the SCO Forum on Sustainable Development

The SCO Secretary-General Participates in the SCO Forum on Sustainable Development

On 4 February 2026, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Nurlan Yermekbayev delivered a video address to the participants of the Forum themed "25 Years of the SCO: Toward Fair Global Governance, Joint Sustainable Development and Multipolar Cooperation", which was held in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Forum was co-hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Sciences and Technology of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Pakistan.

In his address, Nurlan Yermekbayev expressed gratitude to the organizers for hosting the Forum and noted that it was the first event in a series of activities planned to mark the 25th anniversary of the SCO's founding.

The Secretary-General emphasized that advancing sustainable development is one of the core priorities of the SCO's work. As stated in the 2024 Astana Declaration and the 2025 Tianjin Declaration, all SCO member states reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and deepening practical cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable development was also designated as the core theme of the SCO's rotating chairmanships held by China in 2024-2025 and the Kyrgyz Republic in 2025-2026 respectively.

The SCO attaches great importance to priority areas including poverty alleviation, energy and food security, healthcare, environmental protection, climate change response, and the rational utilization of natural resources.

In the Secretary-General's view, the statements on digital economy development, sustainable energy development and green industry cooperation adopted at the 2025 Tianjin SCO Summit (September 2025) are "a reflection of the firm resolve of the SCO and its member states to pool efforts in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals".

Of particular note are the Global Governance Initiative proposed by Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, at the Tianjin SCO Summit, as well as the initiative put forward by the Russian Federation in 2025 to establish a Council on Sustainable Development.

Nurlan Yermekbayev stressed that the achievement of sustainable development goals is only possible through the pooling of efforts and resources of all countries in the world. To create a synergistic effect, the SCO is engaging in cooperation with all bodies of the United Nations system and a number of regional organizations.

In his concluding remarks, the Secretary-General underlined that the SCO will continue to serve as a platform to unite the efforts of its member states and the international community, with a view to building a safe, stable and shared future for all.