This photo taken on Aug. 30, 2025 shows an exterior view of the main venue of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 in north China's Tianjin. [Photo/Xinhua]

At their recent meeting in Russia, government leaders from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries called for closer cooperation and voiced opposition to unilateralism.

Leaders present at the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO, which concluded on Nov. 18, also expressed their support for a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation.

Analysts said that more than two decades since its establishment, the SCO is playing an ever more important role in advancing regional cooperation and championing multilateralism.

Trust-ensured security 

As the SCO continues to evolve and expand, its distinct model of cooperation, underpinned by the Shanghai Spirit, is increasingly recognized as a vital force in promoting regional cooperation and a more equitable international order.

Security is an important aspect of cooperation among SCO members. Security cooperation among SCO members diverges from traditional military blocs, relying on mutual trust and coordination to address transnational threats.

"The SCO's security cooperation is based not on military alliances but on mutual trust and coordination," said Jamshed Toshev, deputy director of Tajikistan's SCO Friendship and Cooperation Center.

With effective cooperation based on mutual trust, the SCO has been playing a key role in maintaining security in the region over the past more than two decades.

"The SCO advances a cooperation model in which all states, regardless of economic or military strength, have an equal voice, with decisions taken by consensus and based on respect for sovereignty", said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of the China Studies Center in Astana, Kazakhstan.

It also opposes interference in internal affairs of member states, reiterating the SCO members' support for the UN Charter's purposes and principles, Shaimergenova added.

The SCO's practical measures have demonstrated how equitable and multilateral cooperation can serve as an effective tool for conflict prevention, collective security and sustainable development, noted the analyst.

Closer economic, cultural ties

Over the years, the SCO has made remarkable achievements in facilitating trade and economic integration of the region, boosting prosperity and enhancing people-to-people exchanges among member countries.

Referring to the organization's decision to establish the SCO Development Bank, Alexey Maslov, Director of the Institute of Asian and African Countries at Lomonosov Moscow State University, said that it would be an important step to further stimulate growth.

"Now there is broad consensus that creation of the SCO Development Bank is the key to enhancing the effectiveness of economic interaction," the analyst said.

It will provide financing for large-scale infrastructure projects, and enable the provision of substantial loans for the development of transnational projects, not only those related to infrastructure, but also areas such as education, personnel retraining, as well as science and technology, Maslov noted.

"Today, the SCO serves as a framework for aligning the interests of its member states across a full range of issues, from the economy and security to humanitarian exchanges," said Yekaterina Zaklyazhminskaya, head of the Center for Global Policy and Strategic Analysis at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences.

The analyst noted that in recent years, there has been a focus on the harmonious integration of processes under the Eurasian Economic Union, the Belt and Road Initiative and other integration projects involving SCO member states.

Humanitarian ties are also advancing effectively: exchanges in culture, science, education, healthcare and environmental protection are expanding, and sports cooperation is growing, Zaklyazhminskaya added.

Championing multilateralism 

The SCO plays a vital role in promoting multilateralism in an evolving international landscape marked by rising protectionism and unilateralism, the experts said.

The Tianjin Declaration issued at the 2025 SCO Summit reflects member states' clear rejection of coercive measures in international relations and of confrontational mindsets in addressing global hotspot issues, said Shaimergenova.

According to Toshev, the SCO has proven to be one of the most successful and influential regional cooperation platforms in Eurasia, making a real contribution to developing a multipolar and just world order based on international law and mutual respect.

In his view, the organization demonstrates that international cooperation can be built "not on confrontation but on partnership and solidarity."

Experts from member countries agreed that SCO has become a key force in reforming the global governance system.

Zaklyazhminskaya pointed out that since its inception, the organization has demonstrated a high degree of alignment in the interests of its member states, while developing and refining its cooperation mechanisms based on the Shanghai Spirit.

Through this approach, the SCO plays an important role in advancing the international political and economic order toward greater democracy, said the Kazakh scholar.