Tokayev Proposes Enshrining SCO Principles in a UN General Assembly Resolution

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev wants the principles that guide the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to receive formal recognition from the United Nations.

Speaking at the SCO Plus summit in Bishkek, Tokayev proposed a special UN General Assembly resolution for the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. The meeting brought together representatives of 18 countries and seven international organisations after a session of the SCO Council of Heads of State.

Tokayev described the international system as undergoing a period of deep transformation, with a new world order taking shape. He linked the emergence of a multipolar world to rising geopolitical tensions, a crisis of trust and weaker mechanisms of global governance.

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Kazakhstan consistently advocates multipolarity that strengthens the unity of the international community based on the sovereign equality of states and the supremacy of international law.

“Kazakhstan consistently advocates multipolarity that strengthens the unity of the international community based on the sovereign equality of states and the supremacy of international law,” Tokayev said. He presented the SCO’s “Shanghai spirit”, including equality and consensus, as a model for multilateral cooperation.

Tokayev also defended the central role of the United Nations despite criticism of the organisation. “There is no alternative to this organisation,” he said, while calling for efforts to strengthen the UN and improve its effectiveness. He said the UN Charter should remain the universal foundation of international law and the organisation should retain its coordinating role during heightened geopolitical tension.

He argued that progress would depend on the political will and responsibility of member states, with middle powers playing a larger role in encouraging dialogue between different centres of power. Tokayev also noted that Kazakhstan had supported a Chinese initiative and joined the convention establishing an international mediation organisation.

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There is no alternative to this organisation.