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SCO secretary general likes Russia’s idea to set up SCO Sustainable Development Council

Nurlan Yermekbayev said that this is a serious issue that requires expert discussion, taking into account the positions and interests of each SCO country

MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. Nurlan Yermekbayev, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), has highly appreciated the Russian initiative to establish a council for sustainable development within the framework of the association.

"There is an objective need to use the potential of the SCO, the experience and knowledge of the SCO member states that have made progress in achieving the targets (Sustainable Development Goals - TASS)," he said at the SCO Forum on Sustainable Development. "The Russian initiative to establish the SCO Council for Sustainable Development deserves attention."

"The Council could address a range of issues, including updating the SDGs for the regions, developing joint approaches, and supporting UN activities in this area in the SCO format."

Yermekbayev said that this is a serious issue that requires expert discussion, taking into account the positions and interests of each SCO country.

"We hope that representatives of the authorized bodies will exchange views on this initiative and outline further steps," he concluded.

About the forum

The SCO Forum on Sustainable Development took place on November 17 on the sidelines of a meeting of the SCO Council of heads of government. The event is attended by representatives of SCO delegations, government agencies, business circles, as well as experts in the field of sustainable development from the cooperation organization and partner countries. The organizers are Boris Titov, Special Representative of Russia’s President for Relations with International Organizations for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, and the SCO secretariat with the support of Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, the operator is the Roscongress Foundation. The main purpose of the forum is to discuss the current state of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and the prospects for the UN SDG agenda after 2030 in the face of new global challenges.

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