SRSG NATALIA GHERMAN PARTICIPATES IN THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION SUMMIT

The Summit of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (17 September 2021)

17 Sep 2021

SRSG NATALIA GHERMAN PARTICIPATES IN THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION SUMMIT

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan

On 17 September 2021, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Asia and Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Natalia Gherman, participated in the Summit of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

The high-level meeting was hosted by H.E. Emomali Rahmon, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, as part of the country’s Presidency in the SCO in 2020-2021 and dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the organization. The Summit convened delegations of SCO member states and observers, SCO entities and international organizations for exchanges on current political and socioeconomic developments in Central Asia.

Discussions focused on issues of common interest such as regional and international cooperation and strategies to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Following in-depth exchanges on the recent developments in Afghanistan, the SCO member states agreed on the importance of consolidated responses in this regard.

In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated the United Nations’ support for coordinated and innovative solutions for combatting transnational crises, and in furthering peace and stability processes in Central Asia. The Secretary-General Guterres addressed the unfolding situation in Afghanistan and emphasized the United Nations’ commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan population. In this regard, the vital importance of cooperating with regional organizations such as the SCO was highlighted.

The high-level meeting resulted in the adoption of over thirty documents, including the Dushanbe Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of the SCO noting the achievements of the organization in the past two decades and reaffirming the member states’ commitment for regional cooperation moving forward. The Republic of Uzbekistan assumed the Presidency in the SCO for the period 2021-2022.