Webinar SCO Summit 2023: Implications, Challenges, and Future Prospects.

Amidst various challenges faced by countries in the region and globally, the SCO member states are working together to promote the "Shanghai Spirit." This Spirit addresses urgent issues and fosters regional security, economic prosperity, and cultural exchange. It is valuable for the SCO as an international organization and can serve as a model for international relations between countries worldwide. Encouraging harmony and cooperation inspires collective progress and prosperity for everyone involved.

Speakers shared these points during the Webinar on "SCO Summit 2023: Implications, Challenges, and Future Prospects." The event was organized by the Pakistan-SCO Friendship Forum and the Center of SCO Studies, Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS). Distinguished academics and experts from SCO member states provided valuable insights about the recent SCO 2023 Summit and its implications for the future. Speakers emphasized the vital role of people-to-people collaboration and joint efforts in finding effective solutions to complex global challenges such as climate change, extremism, technological advancements, and economic stability.

They shared that the SCO member states can create a more interconnected and sustainable future through collective action. Dr. Farhat Asif, President of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS), in her opening remarks for the Webinar, introduced the panelists and explored the possibilities that emerged from the Delhi SCO Summit 2023, empowering civil society to play a pivotal role in spreading the Shanghai Cooperation spirit of dialogue and prosperity in the region.

Iran's formal accession marked a significant milestone as the organization's ninth permanent member, expanding its outreach to include nearly 45 percent of the global population and 20 percent of the world's GDP. Dr. Sakti Prasad Srichandan, Assistant Professor at the Centre for European Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, said that the recent SCO summit in India has achieved three main important points that central Asia to be seen as the core of SCO to steer away from the political weight of the dominating countries to enhance the region.

Secondly, SCO is seen as a security focus group. Still, the elevation of soft sectors like medicine, innovation, youth empowerment, and digital inclusion and Decarbonization in the SCO agenda is also unprecedented. Thirdly, SCO is on the path of membership expense, with Iran joining the New...