Nurlan Yermekbayev, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, highlighted China’s central role in advancing SCO cooperation during a webinar on post-Tianjin summit achievements and prospects for multipolar regional engagement. He described the Tianjin Summit as a defining moment and noted that member states presented 66 proposals, including the decision to establish the SCO Development Bank to support sustainable growth, clean energy initiatives and scientific innovation across the region.
Secretary General Yermekbayev said China’s Global Governance Initiative is built on inclusivity and respect for sovereignty and is helping reshape a fairer international order while expanding the SCO’s capacity as a platform for collective action. He stressed that closer coordination and multilateral dialogue within SCO cooperation will help member states respond to shared development and security challenges.
Dr. Farhat Asif, President of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, welcomed participants and underlined the institute’s efforts to promote policy dialogue, research and training in public and regional diplomacy. She introduced the Centre for SCO Studies at IPDS as Pakistan’s first dedicated platform for research and academic engagement within the SCO framework, noting its potential to strengthen Pakistan’s voice in regional initiatives tied to the SCO Development Bank and connectivity projects.
From Beijing, Yu Xueyong, Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission, outlined tangible results from China’s chairmanship ahead of the Tianjin Summit: more than 200 events, 99 cooperation documents and 36 joint projects aimed at deepening solidarity and people-to-people ties. These efforts, he said, reinforced practical aspects of SCO cooperation from infrastructure links to cultural exchange.
Experts from member states emphasized the broader implications for multipolar governance. Dr. Andrey K. Krivorotov of the Russian Academy of Sciences pointed to closer Moscow-Beijing coordination on global governance. Dr. Anton Dudaranak of Belarus highlighted the growing role of SCO and BRICS as engines of South-South cooperation and resilience, while Dr. Lidiya Parkhomchik of Kazakhstan drew attention to environmental measures and transport connectivity under China’s Belt and Road Initiative that complement SCO cooperation priorities.
Pakistani and regional scholars emphasized institutional capacity and public diplomacy. Dr. Sarwat Rauf from NUML called for institutional strengthening and regulatory alignment within the SCO system to maximize benefits for member states. Dr. Doronshoeva Nekbakht of Tajikistan described the SCO as a symbol of the multipolar transition and pointed to new regional centres for information and food security as concrete outcomes. Dr. Alimardonov Otabek Kudratovich from Uzbekistan underscored the role of public diplomacy and people-to-people engagement in advancing the SCO’s mission of shared development.
The webinar drew scholars, researchers, diplomats and media from across the region and highlighted practical avenues for Pakistan to engage more deeply in SCO cooperation, from accessing finance for clean energy and connectivity projects to contributing to research, training and public diplomacy through the newly established Centre for SCO Studies at IPDS.
