By: Khalid Khan:The formation of the SCO took place under the influence of cardinal changes in international relations at the end of the 20th century. Among them are the end of the Cold War and the change in the balance of power in the world, the emergence of a new geopolitical situation in Eurasia and the formation of new regional centers of power, the processes of globalization and regionalism, the change in the attitude of the world community to traditional threats - the intensification of terrorism, extremism and separatist movements.
During that difficult period, the need for institutionalized regional cooperation of the young independent states of Central Asia in counteracting multifaceted, largely unfamiliar threats and problems was quite understandable. In this context, the emergence of the SCO was a direct result of efforts to ensure stability and security in Central Asia. Four of the five young republics of the former USSR - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - became members of a multilateral structure that includes such major powers as Russia and China.
The organization has identified the maintenance of regional security as one of the priorities of its joint activities, and has also set the task of combating manifestations of terrorism, extremism and separatism. At the same time, the participating countries did not confine themselves to the military sphere of cooperation. They began to actively discuss other problems of mutual interest - the fight against drug trafficking from Afghanistan, the solution of environmental problems in Central Asia (especially water shortages), the development of cooperation in the trade and economic sphere, in the field of energy, transport and telecommunications.
The key event in the life of the Organization in recent years has undoubtedly been its expansion in 2017 to include two major Asian countries, India and Pakistan. At present, the SCO is turning into one of the major transregional organizations, whose states collectively wield considerable power. For example, China, Russia, India and Pakistan have the status of a nuclear power, while Russia and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The new foreign policy strategy of Uzbekistan over the past five years is clearly reflected in the activities of the SCO. Within the framework of the Organization, the country puts forward many relevant initiatives and proposals that contribute to enhancing its image in the international arena, corresponding to the priority areas of socio-economic development, and actively contributes to enriching the existing agenda.
It should be noted that Uzbekistan is the chairman of the SCO in 2021-2022. The next summit of the organization will be held on September 15-16 in Samarkand. As part of the meeting held on the eve of the Samarkand summit, a plan was approved for the implementation of the "road map" of cooperation between relevant ministries and departments responsible for the development of physical culture and sports of the SCO countries for 2022-2024. The document, aimed at improving the system of holding all events at a high level, provides for interaction in the direction of creating favorable conditions for the development of physical culture and sports, popularization of Olympic and non-Olympic sports, as well as ethnosport, advanced training of athletes, coaches and judges.
In order to further expand the multifaceted partnership within the SCO, a Comprehensive Program is being developed for the implementation of the Treaty on Long-term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO Member States for 2023-2027, and a Joint Action Plan for the Development of Intra-Regional Trade.
It is planned to complete the process of developing and agreeing on the SCO Concept on the interconnectedness in the field of transport.
It is also planned to adopt the Program for Infrastructure Development in the SCO Space, the Program of Action for Cooperation between the Leading Medical Centers of the SCO Member States in the Field of Prevention of Infectious Diseases, the Program for Cooperation in the Field of Telemedicine, the Memorandum between the Authorized Bodies of the SCO Member States on Cooperation in the Field of Museum Affairs, the Agreement on cooperation in the field of the use of renewable energy sources between the SCO member states and a number of other important documents.
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