On March 14 of this year, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the SCO Youth Summit was held at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy under the motto “SCO: Voice of the Youth of Uzbekistan”. This event brought together more than 100 active and initiative young delegates from various regions of the country. Participants were selected based on the results of a competitive selection among more than 580 applications. This, in turn, testifies to the high interest of young people in international cooperation, diplomacy and sustainable development.

    The summit was organized by the SCO Center for Public Diplomacy in Uzbekistan together with UWED and the Diplomatic Synergy youth club. The initiative is aimed at supporting youth diplomacy, developing a culture of international dialogue and promoting among young people the key values of the SCO - mutual respect, trust and multilateral cooperation.

    The goal of the project is to stimulate the interest of young people in the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization through the simulation of high-level meetings. This format contributes to a deeper understanding of the work of the SCO, the development of analytical thinking among young people and the formation of a comprehensive view of current global and regional issues. The project also aims to expand knowledge in the field of international relations, strengthen the culture of diplomatic dialogue and develop among young people the values of mutual understanding, cooperation and respect in the spirit of the SCO principles.

    The participants of the Model were students of secondary schools, academic lyceums, as well as university students, who recreated the format of meetings of the SCO heads of state and presented their ideas and initiatives on key issues on the agenda of the Organization.

    The program of the event included two substantive thematic sessions, each of which was devoted to topical issues.

    In particular, during the first session, delegates discussed issues of regional security and stability. As part of the discussions, the topics of ensuring peace in the SCO space, strengthening regional cooperation, topical aspects of the Afghan issue, as well as mechanisms for interaction between states in the field of security were considered.

    In the second session, the participants paid special attention to the issues of economic connectivity and trade cooperation, as well as the development of humanitarian and cultural ties. The delegates stressed the importance of developing transport and transit corridors, expanding economic cooperation, strengthening cooperation in the field of education and science, as well as promoting youth policy.

     During the discussions, the participants also put forward a number of proposals and initiatives aimed at further deepening cooperation in the SCO space, strengthening mutual trust between states and supporting youth initiatives.

    Director of the SCO Center for Public Diplomacy in Uzbekistan Kabuljon Sabirov noted that interest in this project is growing every year. “Young people are our future, as well as the most active and creative force in the modern world. Thanks to such models, young people not only have a deeper understanding of the essence of international relations, but also learn to apply such SCO values as friendship, solidarity and mutual respect in life. Today's event clearly showed how active our young participants are in their views and have a broad outlook. We are proud of them!” the head of the Center emphasized.

      The SCO Youth Summit at UWED was a clear demonstration of how the active participation of young people contributes to strengthening a constructive dialogue between countries, finding innovative solutions and forming a common vision of the future in the spirit of solidarity, cooperation and peace.