The 2024 SCO Summit in Pakistan: Outcomes and Challenges

Introduction

As the incumbent chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government – the second highest forum of SCO that deals with economic, trade, social, cultural, and humanitarian issues and budgetary matters of the organization – Pakistan hosted the SCO Summit that took place on October 15 and 16 2024 in Islamabad. SCO member states were represented by the prime ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as well as the first vice president of Iran and the external affairs minister of India. To ensure the security of participants from member countries of SCO, there was a complete lockdown in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with the deployment of 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel for the security of about 900 delegates. 

Before that, in 2023, Pakistan hosted the Conference on Transport Connectivity for Regional Prosperity on November 22, 2023, and the expert-level meeting of the Special Working Group on Poverty Alleviation entitled “Leveraging Digital Technologies to Enhance Social Safety Nets in SCO Member States” on December 6, 2023.

Additionally, in the future, from 2025 to 2026, Pakistan will chair the SCO Council of Regional Antiterrorism Structure (CRATS). Pakistan will assume the rotational chair of the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) and SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in 2026-27. This is a clear demonstration of Pakistan’s desire to advocate for addressing regional issues by showing its active participation in regional organizations like SCO.

What is SCO?

Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1996 by five countries, namely the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, to promote peace, disarm border regions, and encourage regional cooperation under the aegis of “Shanghai Five.” A memorandum of understanding on creating better conditions for regional economic cooperation, trade, and investment was signed in the first prime ministers’ meeting of SCO held on 14 September 2001.

Additionally, it was vowed to keep the meetings at the level of prime ministers of the member states to make them a regular mechanism. In today’s era, along with other meeting mechanisms, the SCO heads of state summit and the SCO prime ministers’ council meetings held once a year constitute the highest level of these mechanisms. 

Furthermore, the SCO is a crucial cross-regional bloc. Its membership depicts nearly 80 percent of the Eurasian landmass, 40% of the world population, nearly 30% of the global GDP, and a significant share of oil and gas reserves. It acts as a land bridge between Asia and Europe.

Agendas of the Council of Heads of Government Meetings

The SCO meetings sought to explore ways to enhance regional economic integration through trade and connectivity within the Eurasian political and security bloc. Additionally, all the member states pledged to offer their services for working on eradicating poverty while promoting prosperity and sustainable development in the region.

Member states vowed to collectively work on initiatives aimed at reducing disparities and promoting inclusive growth. Additionally, connectivity projects, both in terms of infrastructure and digital networks, can play a significant role in facilitating trade and ensuring smoother economic interactions across borders. Furthermore, the organization’s budget was likely to be approved.

Outcomes of the 2024 SCO Summit in Islamabad

After the two-day summit, a joint communique was issued in which the heads of delegations advocated for sustainable and inclusive economic growth of member states by optimizing the region’s potential in areas such as:

• Green development
• Digital economy
• Trade
• E-commerce
• Finance and banking
• Investment
• High technology
• Start-ups and innovation
• Poverty alleviation
• Health care (including traditional and folk medicine)
• Agriculture
• Industry
• Transport
• Logistics connectivity
• Energy (including renewable energy)
• Communications
• Science and technology
• Environment and climate change.

While underscoring the indispensability of implementing the SCO Economic Development Strategy for the period up to 2030 and the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO member states, member countries vowed to ensure stable economic and social development in the Eurasian region.

Heads of the delegation also laid emphasis on enhancing railway transport cooperation while welcoming the upcoming meeting of railway administrations in Moscow. They advocated for innovative technologies in multi-model transport and called for developing infrastructure, logistics, and safety measures, aligning with the SCO’s concept of cooperation on ports and logistics centers.

Additionally, they emphasized the significance of enhancing further cooperation in overcoming poverty and ameliorating the living standards of the population, while adhering to the agenda of the special working group (SWG) of the SCO member states that deals with poverty reduction issues. Furthermore, during the meetings, sundry decisions were taken regarding the financial and organizational activities of the SCO permanent bodies. For this purpose, due attention was paid to admitting the Republic of Congo to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Member countries also expressed their deep concerns over protectionist and unilateral actions of imposing trade impediments contrary to the WTO rules and regulations. They believed such measures had undermined the multilateral trading system while severely impinging on Third World countries and the global economy. They vowed to join efforts to reinvigorate a non-discriminatory, open, equitable, inclusive, and transparent multilateral trading system, predicated on the WTO. 

The heads of the delegation also proposed to promote the adoption of a resolution by the UN General Assembly in tandem with the SCO initiative “On World Unity for a Just Peace, Harmony and Development.” The initiative tends to foster cooperation in establishing new types of international relations predicated on mutual respect, justice, equality, and mutually beneficial cooperation, as well as the formation of a common vision of the idea of creating a community of common destiny for mankind and the development of dialogue on the concept of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”

Beyond that, all member countries vowed to enhance cooperation in energy, economy, and climate change through the development of Interconnectivity and the creation of efficient transport corridors. Additionally, they laid emphasis on resolving disputes through bilateral means. 

Challenges Faced by the SCO in Pursuing its Objectives

No regional organization can be successful in achieving its agendas if its members have a self-proclaimed and regional hegemonic attitude towards its neighborhood. For instance, India has entered into needless competition with China and seeks to counter its influence in the CARS region. Its approach is driven by hostile and conflictual relations, particularly with China and Pakistan, casting a shadow over SCO’s objectives for achieving mutual benefits and cooperation.

Additionally, in his article published in Nikki Asia, author Brahma Chellaney argues that India seemed to have had a second thought about attending the 2024 SCO Summit in Islamabad. This must be attributed to an anti-Western picture of the organization portrayed by the West. This runs parallel to the pro-Western propensity of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the foreign minister of India attended the ministerial meetings in Pakistan.  

On the other hand, in his article published on the website of the Observer Research Foundation, the Vice President argues that China has been exploiting the SCO platform to pursue its hegemonic interests rather than providing any gains to the members of the CARS region. This Sino-India geopolitical rivalry has led Russia to focus more on expanding BRICS, a group that seeks to lessen Western influence by de-dollarizing the world.  Moreover, the presence of Iran and India is an obvious contradiction within the group that threatens to undermine its foundational purpose. For instance, Iran is battling the Zionist assault, whereas India has been an anchor of support for Israel.

Conclusion

The 2024 SCO Summit offers a crucial moment to reinvigorate the organization by building stronger economic ties among its members. Pakistan is eager to push forward initiatives that not only boost regional trade but also improve connectivity through better infrastructure and transport links across the region. However, challenges remain due to geopolitical rivalries. Member countries need to set aside differences to pursue mutual cooperation and achieve the goals of the forum.

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