Over the past 25 years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has grown from six founding members into the world's largest comprehensive regional organization in terms of geographical coverage and population, with vast potential for development.

The SCO's vitality lies not only in its expanding membership, but also in its approach to cooperation, which differs from power politics and bloc confrontation. Guided by the Shanghai Spirit, the organization upholds mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for the diversity of civilizations and the pursuit of common development. In addressing challenges such as insufficient representation in the international order, widening development gaps and double standards, the SCO has provided a model for the Global South to pursue a more equal and inclusive form of multilateralism.

The SCO offers a model for security cooperation. Rather than adopting a security approach centered on military alliances and bloc confrontation, the SCO advocates a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. To address shared threats such as terrorism, extremism, transnational crime, drug trafficking and cybersecurity risks, member states have established stable coordination mechanisms.

The SCO serves as a model for building mutual political trust and advancing cooperation in global governance. Despite significant differences in national conditions, political systems and cultures, SCO members have upheld equality among all countries and advanced decision-making through consultation and consensus.

Its ability to seek common ground while preserving differences demonstrates that diversity is not an obstacle to multilateral cooperation. For the Global South, the SCO platform helps build consensus around calls to reform the global governance system and promote greater recognition of sovereign equality, the right to development and the voice of developing countries in international affairs.

The SCO also demonstrates a model for practical cooperation. Within the SCO framework, cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, energy, the digital economy and other fields has continued to expand. The 2026 Meeting of the SCO Business Council Board highlighted the need to deepen trade, investment and industrial cooperation, while the SCO Energy Ministers Meeting focused on energy security, energy efficiency, a just transition and renewable energy cooperation. The value of the SCO model lies in placing development at the center of its agenda and strengthening countries' development capacity through infrastructure connectivity, industrial cooperation and capacity building.

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges and green cooperation have also emerged as new pillars of the SCO's multilateral framework. Exchanges in areas such as dialogue among civilizations, education, youth, media and think tanks have continued to expand, translating the idea of civilizational diversity into a broader network of social interaction.

Meanwhile, member states have stepped up cooperation in climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, low-carbon economy, waste management, air pollution control, and glacier and water resource protection, creating more opportunities for developing countries to balance their green transformation with development needs.

As the SCO Summit 2026 opens in Bishkek, the organization, as a model for multilateral cooperation among Global South countries, is expected to show three new trends.

First, institutional modernization will accelerate, with efforts to improve efficiency and implementation capacity following the organization's expansion. Second, cooperation will become more comprehensive, extending from traditional security to emerging areas such as the energy transition, digital governance and green development. Third, the SCO Plus and other open cooperation formats will continue to expand, linking cooperation among SCO members with broader networks of Global South partners.

The past 25 years have shown that the SCO's greatest value lies not in any fixed institutional model, but in its approach to managing differences, building consensus and advancing cooperation. It does not draw lines based on ideology, allow power to determine whose voice is heard or seek security through exclusive alliances. Instead, it aims to find the broadest common ground through consultation, lays the foundation for peace through development and enhances governance through inclusiveness.

The Bishkek Summit is expected to further translate these principles into more effective mechanisms, concrete projects and more open partnerships, enabling the SCO to offer a more meaningful multilateral path for the Global South's participation in reshaping the international order.