The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has emerged as a significant force in regional politics and global affairs over its 23-year history. Recent statements from SCO leadership highlight the organization’s growing role as a counterweight to Western-dominated international systems and its commitment to fostering a more equitable global order.
At the heart of the SCO’s current stance is a critique of what it perceives as hegemonic and coercive approaches to international relations by certain countries. These approaches, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, aim to “suppress the strategic independence of the Global South and impede the rise of emerging markets”.
In response to these challenges, the SCO is doubling down on its founding principles of mutual respect, dialogue, and cooperation. In one of the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meetings in Kazakhstan, he emphasised the importance of strategic independence for its member states, urging them to resolve conflicts through dialogue and resist external interference in regional affairs.
Security remains a top priority for the SCO. The organization is calling for a “common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable” security framework in the region. China, a key member, has expressed a willingness to enhance security mechanisms within the SCO to address emerging threats and challenges.
Economic cooperation is another pillar of the SCO’s strategy. The organization positions itself as a promoter of economic globalization, albeit on terms that benefit all parties involved. It advocates for integrated regional development and increased multilateral cooperation among its members.
Cultural exchange and mutual understanding are also emphasized in the SCO’s vision. The organization sees diversity as a strength and aims to build lasting friendships among its member states through people-to-people exchanges.
Perhaps most notably, the SCO is positioning itself as an advocate for a more multipolar world order. It calls for “equal and orderly multipolarization” of the global system and promotes an inclusive form of economic globalization that benefits all nations, not just a select few.
This stance places the SCO in direct ideological opposition to what it perceives as a Western-dominated unipolar world order. By emphasizing strategic independence, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation, the SCO is offering an alternative model of international relations that may prove attractive to many developing nations.
However, critics argue that the SCO’s vision may oversimplify complex global dynamics and that its emphasis on non-interference could potentially shield member states from accountability for human rights issues.
As the SCO continues to grow in influence and membership, its impact on global geopolitics is likely to increase. Whether it can truly offer a viable alternative to existing international structures remains to be seen, but its commitment to multipolarity and mutual cooperation is clear.
The coming years will be crucial in determining whether the SCO can translate its principles into concrete actions that benefit not only its member states but also contribute positively to global stability and development.
