The 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) was held on 16th October 2024, in Islamabad, Pakistan under the leadership of the Pakistan Prime Minister(PM) Shehbaz Sharif.
- The summit focused on regional security, trade, economic collaboration, and the fight against terrorism.
Note: The SCO CHG will be hosted by Russia in 2025.
Key People: Li Qiang, China’s Premier; Russia’s PM Mikhail Mishustin; Belarus’ PM Roman Golovchenko; Kazakhstan’s PM Olzhas Bektenov; Kyrgyzstan’s PM Akylbek Zhaparov; Tajikistan’s PM Akylbek Zhaparov; Uzbekistan’s PM Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov; First Vice President of Iran Mohammad Mokhber of Iran; and Mongolia’s PM Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene were among the key participants of the meeting.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Addressed 23rd SCO CHG
Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs(MEA), Government of India(GoI), addressed the 23rd SCO CHG in Islamabad. He became the first Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan in nearly a decade.
- S Jaishankar during his address, raised concerns about the issue of terrorism that hinders trade, energy flows, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.
- He also raised the issue of violation of Indian sovereignty because of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
- Moreover, he also emphasised the need to make the UN Security Council(UNSC) more inclusive, representative, transparent, efficient, democratic and accountable.
Highlights:
External Affairs Minister(EAM) S Jaishankar signed 8 outcome documents during the summit, highlighting India’s positive and constructive contributions during the 23rd SCO SHG.
He further elaborated on eight key takeaways from India’s perspective.
i.Developing a dialogue focusing on the theme “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.
ii.Outcomes of India initiatives like SCO Startup Forum, Special Working Group (SWG) on Startups and Innovation and Traditional Medicine welcomed by SCO members.
iii.Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) & Digital Inclusion as a part of SCO cooperation framework.
iv.SCO taking inspiration from Mission LiFE (LiFEStyle For Environment), a global mass movement led by India in achieving the United Nations(UN)’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
v.Enhancing global food security and nutrition by promoting the use of climate-resilient and nutritious grains such as millet.
vi.Supporting fair and balanced connectivity projects in alignment with international law, the goals and principles of the UN Charter and SCO Charter.
vii.Re-focusing upon the rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive and transparent multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its core.
viii.Disagreeing with the protectionist actions, unilateral sanctions, and trade restrictions that threaten the multilateral trading system and hamper global sustainable development.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):
SCO was formed on 15th June 2001, in Shanghai, China, to boost mutual trust among member states, promote cooperation in trade, economics, science, and technology, and jointly maintain peace, security, and stability in the region.
Secretary-General – Zhang Ming
Members– Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
Headquarters – Beijing, China
