On June 29, 2026, the Valdai Club hosted a discussion titled “The SCO Turns 25: Achievements, Challenges, and Looking Ahead”. Moderator Ivan Timofeev noted that much has been accomplished in the organisation’s quarter-century of existence. Its working formats have been established, and the SCO has significantly expanded. On a number of economic and security issues, it has become a significant platform for the exchange of opinions and consultation. According to Timofeev, its value stems not only from the formal agenda but also from the extensive diplomatic work taking place on the sidelines and behind the scenes of SCO summits. For Russia, the organisation is also important as a potential backbone of the Eurasian security architecture.
“In the SCO, security and the economy complement each other harmoniously,” said Shumkarbek Adilbek uulu, Director of the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (NISI). The organisation was founded on the principles of regional security, and Kyrgyzstan benefited from this; it helped to ensure stability in the country and among its neighbours. In particular, SCO summits contributed to the final demarcation of borders in the region. Now, according to the analyst, Bishkek would like to see the regional security which has been achieved bear fruit in the economy and for the SCO to move on to more practical and applied areas of work, particularly the creation of financial institutions. “The economy and security should complement each other. Security is important, but economic issues and integration projects are also crucial for cooperation,” he concluded.
Yang Cheng, Executive Dean of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, called on the SCO to go beyond declarations. The world is changing, and the old rules of the game are losing their validity. An era of uncertainty has arrived. Military conflicts are symptoms of a profound restructuring of the world order. Against the backdrop of this crisis of globalisation, the centre of gravity of world politics is shifting to the regions. Eurasia is becoming one of the key nodes of this new geopolitical reality. Against this backdrop, interest in the SCO is growing, while the organisation faces enormous challenges. It needs new strategies and reforms focused on effectiveness. It is time to abandon the principle of consensus on certain issues in favour of a small multilateral format (small coalitions), to shift from a policy of “not doing” to a policy of “doing”, and to develop a positive agenda in place of a negative one, Yang Cheng is convinced. “We need dynamism, not sedate calm. The race of civilisations is a race to the top with no room for pause,” he emphasised. “Through joint efforts, we will transform the SCO into a true centre of power in the new world.”
Sanzhar Valiev, Director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies and International Initiatives (Uzbekistan), recalled that the SCO’s 25th anniversary coincides with the 35th anniversary of independence of its Central Asian members. The organisation was originally created precisely to develop cooperation with the countries of Central Asia. Moreover, it was initially stated that Central Asia is the core of the SCO. Accordingly, when assessing the effectiveness of the SCO, it makes sense to look at this core. Central Asia is currently a dynamically developing region with high rates of economic growth in all countries. Significant progress has been made in terms of stability and security, as well as in addressing social issues. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has played a significant role in this. “The success of Central Asia can be seen as the success of the SCO’s quarter-century of development,” Valiev concluded, adding that although achieving consensus within the organisation is not always easy, it can be said that it is successfully addressing its objectives while maintaining its unique “Shanghai spirit”.
Yulia Nikitina, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for International Studies, MGIMO University and Associate professor at the School of World Political Processes, MGIMO University, sees expansion as the main criterion for the effectiveness of the SCO, as well as BRICS. She proposed viewing the organisation as a kind of regional socialisation mechanism for states. In this context, numerous dialogues and discussions, which many view with scepticism, appear to be quite effective mechanisms serving their purposes. The dialogue-based nature of the ties and grouping within the SCO should be recognised, Nikitina said. She believes that in order to emphasise the dialogical, social nature of the association, the term “Big House of the SCO” could be introduced. Nikitina noted that this network structure is valuable in itself, although it is difficult from the outside to assess its effectiveness and the success of its projects.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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