SCO at 25: From a Security Alliance to a Global Platform for Sustainable Development
In 2026, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) marks its 25th anniversary. Over a quarter of a century, this major regional organization, which encompasses nearly half of the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP, has expanded far beyond its original security agenda. Today, its priorities include sustainable development, poverty reduction, and the modernization of Eurasian economies.
One of the key areas of cooperation has been agriculture based on Chinese technologies. China became the first country in the world to achieve the United Nations’ poverty eradication goals. For example, the introduction of drip irrigation systems in arid Uzbekistan has increased water-use efficiency by 40 percent and cotton yields by 30 percent. In Kazakhstan and Pakistan, joint breeding programs have produced new resilient wheat varieties, boosting harvests by 28 percent and 9 percent respectively.
Another important pillar of development is vocational education. Under the Luban Workshop initiative, around ten modern training centers have been established in eight SCO member states, including Russia, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. By the end of 2025, approximately 150,000 students had received training in in-demand IT and technical fields such as robotics, programming, and agricultural drone operation, helping address the shortage of skilled professionals across the region.
At the same time, the SCO continues to promote logistics development and green energy. In 2025, rail freight traffic from the SCO Demonstration Zone in Qingdao increased by 20.5 percent, surpassing 840,000 tons. Meanwhile, the launch of the Bukhara Wind Power Plant—the largest wind farm in Central Asia—now supplies 7 percent of Uzbekistan’s electricity demand and reduces annual CO₂ emissions by 1.7 million tons.
Guided by the “Shanghai Spirit,” the organization is successfully transforming political partnership into tangible improvements in the quality of life of millions of people.
ORIENT
