The author is the former political advisor to former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the founder of the Forum for a New South Asia.
Embracing the Vision of the SCO
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All progressive people around the world should make concerted efforts to promote these noble ideas. Strengthening the United Nations system is of utmost urgency. In all such efforts, multilateral platforms like the SCO can play an important role.
July 4, 2024
The Baiterek Tower in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 29, 2024. (Photo from Xinhua)
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is being held in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3 and 4. I would like to pay tribute to Kazakhstan, one of the founding members of the SCO. Kazakhstan is a country of indescribable beauty and a land of great poets, philosophers, artists, and writers. Among them is the wise poet Allama Iqbal, a revered figure not only in Kazakhstan but also globally.
“Nations are created, and you should love them like yourself,” Iqbal wrote. “Love people as brothers, and then truth and life will work for you.” This profound thought aligns perfectly with the founding philosophy of the SCO. The very first article in the SCO Charter emphasizes strengthening mutual trust, friendship, and good neighborliness among all member countries. The SCO is a vital multilateral platform committed to promoting peace, security, and common development in the Asia-Eurasia region through dialogue and cooperation.
The SCO region encompasses vast areas with significant populations, resources, and development potential. If we can transform this region into a beacon of peace, security, and common development, it would contribute greatly to shaping the destiny of the world. Therefore, it is the collective responsibility of all member countries and their citizens to ensure that the SCO remains committed and devoted to fulfilling its founding tasks and voice.
Another critical issue to address is terrorism. In March, a barbaric terror attack in Moscow claimed the lives of 145 people. Terrorism is a threat to humanity and a blight on civilization. There can be no justification or legitimization of terrorism. It must be fought uncompromisingly by all countries together. The SCO Charter calls for joint efforts to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism in all their manifestations. All member countries must fulfill their obligations in the common fight against terrorism.
We live in a world of rapid changes. The global domination of the West is fast coming to an end. However, sadly, the rest of the world is not sufficiently united nor guided by common lofty goals to offer an alternative path toward peace, justice, democracy, elimination of poverty, equitable development, environmental protection, and good global governance. All progressive people around the world should make concerted efforts to promote these noble ideas. Strengthening the United Nations system is of utmost urgency. In all such efforts, multilateral platforms like the SCO can play an important role.
I strongly believe that SCO deliberation should not be left only to government leaders and diplomats. It is equally necessary to broaden and deepen the participation of writers, educators, artists, cultural personalities, media professionals, and others from civil society.
BY SUDHEENDRA KULKARNI
