Taking Stock and Broadening Horizons for New Economic Partnerships in the SCO
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The SCO is a fast-growing intergovernmental organization that is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs, having proven to be effective at facilitating collaboration across all areas, including politics, security, the economy, and humanitarian ties. The organization has now amassed significant practical experience, which not only enables it to respond to emerging challenges and threats in a timely and judicious way, but also to develop ambitious plans for the future. A number of priorities were put forward during the Russian Federation’s presidency of the SCO in 2019–2020. These included further consolidation in order to achieve sustained development within the organization, improving coordination efforts on foreign policy, and raising the international stature of the SCO. As the world continues to combat the spread of the coronavirus, it has become even more crucial to ensure biomedical security and identify collective solutions in order to address the socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic. Steps need to be taken to align decisions taken by individual member states in order to mitigate the negative impact on people and the wider economy. In this new environment, what needs to be done to facilitate inclusive economic development across all areas of collaboration, create new areas of growth, and make SCO nations more attractive to investors? What role will SCO nations play in addressing the impact of the pandemic, and in building a new economy for the post-COVID era? What should be done to improve coordination and efficiency, and to involve the business sector more closely in the 2021–2025 Action Plan for the 2025 Development Strategy?
