Youth hailed as key force in promoting 'Shanghai Spirit'

The 18th Meeting of the Youth Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held at the SCO Secretariat in Beijing on Tuesday. The meeting was hosted by the All-China Youth Federation.

Xu Xiao, president of the All-China Youth Federation, said this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, noting that human society is once again standing at a historical crossroads.

He emphasized that youth are a crucial force in inheriting and promoting the "Shanghai Spirit" and bear the responsibility to actively participate in reforming the global governance system and promote its development towards greater fairness and reasonableness.

He called on young people from all countries to take the lead in fulfilling the original purpose of establishing the youth council by acting as torchbearers of the "Shanghai Spirit". He urged them to take the lead in responding to the development needs of youth by becoming proactive actors in deepening cooperation.

Furthermore, he encouraged them to take the lead in shouldering the mission and responsibilities of youth by becoming steadfast advocates for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Batir Tursunov, Deputy Secretary-General of SCO Secretariat, said that the SCO attaches great importance to youth affairs, regarding it as one of the organization's priority development areas.

The SCO Secretariat is willing to strengthen cooperation with the SCO Youth Council to jointly implement the consensus of the heads of state on youth exchanges.

He called for strengthening practical activities for young people in SCO countries and guiding them to cooperate in fields such as science and technology, education, sports, culture, tourism, and ecological and environmental protection, to further unleash the potential of youth.

During the meeting, representatives from youth affairs agencies and youth organizations of China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan introduced their work in youth affairs and youth exchanges among SCO member states.

The SCO Youth Council serves as an exchange and coordination mechanism for national-level youth affairs agencies and youth organizations of SCO member states. It is dedicated to promoting youth exchanges and cooperation within the SCO, uniting and guiding young people from member countries to carry forward and practice the Shanghai Spirit. The council holds its meeting annually, hosted by the SCO chair country.