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Opinion
China-led SCO is a critical salve for the ailments of the global order
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation does not seek to replace the UN but amid UN paralysis, regional multilateralism can help sustain global order
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Wang Huiyao is the founder of the Centre for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based non-governmental think tank.
Eighty years after World War II ended, the multilateral system is faltering. The United Nations, once the symbol of post-war peace and cooperation, is increasingly sidelined by unilateral actions and trade wars, amid the marginalisation of the Global South in decision-making.
We are at risk of a world where tariffs and sanctions replace negotiation, conflicts multiply and the very principles of international law are often ignored. If the international community is to avoid drifting further into fragmentation, new governance approaches are urgently needed.
It is in this moment of turbulence that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gathered in Tianjin, China, for its largest summit ever, underscoring its growing role as a forum for stability, dialogue and development across Eurasia.
What began over two decades ago as a regional body to manage border security has evolved into a comprehensive institution with economic, cultural and, increasingly, global faces. The summit delivered not only political dialogue but also set forth new mechanisms of cooperation, including a SCO development bank.
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