On February 4, 2026, Nurlan Yermekbayev, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, sent a video message to participants of the Forum, “The 25th Anniversary of the SCO: Towards Equitable Global Governance, Shared Sustainable Development, and Multipolar Cooperation.” The Forum was organized in Islamabad by the Institute of Policy Studies of the National University of Science and Technology of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, jointly with the Embassy of China in Pakistan.

In his welcoming address, Nurlan Yermekbayev thanked the organizers for hosting the Forum, noting that this was the first in a series of events planned to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The Secretary-General emphasized that one of the Organization’s key areas of work is ensuring sustainable development. Thus, in the Astana Declaration of 2024 and the Tianjin Declaration of 2025, member states reaffirm their commitment to accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reaffirm their commitment to deepening practical cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable development was also the theme of the Chinese and Kyrgyz presidencies in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, respectively.

The organization places significant emphasis on areas such as poverty alleviation, energy and food security, healthcare, environmental protection, climate change, and the rational use of natural resources.

According to the Secretary-General, the statements adopted at the Tianjin Summit (September 2025) on digital economy development, sustainable energy development, and cooperation in green industry are “an expression of the determination of the Organization and its member states to consolidate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Particularly noteworthy is the initiative on global governance put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, as well as the Russian initiative to establish a Sustainable Development Council proposed in 2025.

Nurlan Yermekbayev emphasized that addressing sustainable development challenges is only possible through the pooling of efforts and resources from all countries. To ensure synergies, the SCO is cooperating with UN structures and a number of regional organizations.

Summing up, the Secretary-General emphasized that the SCO will continue to serve as a platform for uniting the efforts of member states and the international community in the interests of building a secure and stable shared future.

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