SCO Summit 2024 (GS Paper 2, International Institutions)
Context
- Astana, Kazakhstan, is poised to host the 24th summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on July 3-4, 2024.
- This pivotal event will address key regional issues and showcase Astana's commitment to dialogue and diplomacy.
The SCO: An Overview
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, established on June 15, 2001, by Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, emerged from the earlier Shanghai Five mechanism.
- The SCO has grown to include nine members, with India, Iran, and Pakistan joining the original six.
- The organization also includes three observer states—Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia—and 14 dialogue partners, such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye.
- Reflecting its significance, the SCO represents 40% of the world’s population and contributes over $23 trillion to global GDP.
- The 2022 Samarkand SCO summit initiated the process of elevating Belarus’s status to a member state, further expanding the organization's influence.
Summit Attendees
Sixteen world leaders are expected to participate in the Astana summit. Notable attendees include:
- Chinese President Xi Jinping: Arrived on July 2 for a state visit and the summit.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon
- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov
- Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres: Arriving in Almaty on July 3.
Alisher Tastenov, chief expert at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS), highlighted the high number of participants as indicative of the summit's importance as a platform for constructive dialogue.
Summit Agenda
The theme for the summit, "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue—Striving Towards a Sustainable Peace and Prosperity," will guide discussions on key areas of cooperation and development. The agenda will primarily focus on:
Security and Stability
At least 20 major documents will be considered, including:
- Astana SCO Declaration
- SCO Development Strategy until 2035
- Energy Cooperation Development Strategy until 2030
- Program of Cooperation in Countering Terrorism, Separatism, and Extremism for 2025-2027
- SCO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2024-2029
One key document under discussion is Kazakhstan's initiative, "On World Unity for Just Peace and Harmony," aimed at enhancing confidence-building measures and promoting stable development globally.
Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship
Kazakhstan assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO from India in July 2023. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described this role as both important and responsible, emphasizing Kazakhstan's dedication to multilateral dialogue and balanced foreign policy. The chairmanship agenda has focused on:
- Resolving Security Issues: Developing common approaches to security.
- Strengthening Economic Cooperation: Enhancing trade, investment, and connectivity.
- Environmental Protection: Advancing sustainable development initiatives.
- Promoting Friendship: Strengthening cultural and people-to-people bonds.
Kazakhstan has hosted over 150 events under its chairmanship, expanding SCO partnerships and enriching the organization's legal and contractual base.
Economic and Strategic Benefits
Participation in the SCO offers Kazakhstan numerous benefits:
- Economic Growth: Enhancing trade and investment, particularly with China and Russia, and developing infrastructure and energy projects.
- Political and Security Cooperation: Addressing shared challenges like terrorism, extremism, and transnational crime through improved intelligence sharing and operational coordination.
Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with SCO countries increased by 56.5% over the past five years, reaching $66 billion, with a trade volume of $19.1 billion in January-April 2024 alone.
Conclusion
- The SCO Summit 2024 in Astana represents a critical opportunity for member states to reinforce their commitment to regional security, economic cooperation, and sustainable development.
- As Kazakhstan concludes its chairmanship, the summit aims to strengthen the SCO's international influence and foster a collaborative environment for addressing global challenges.
