Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday said that all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should jointly pursue the organization’s sound development and make it a stabilizing anchor amid the changes of the world.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a reception in Beijing in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the SCO Secretariat.

Noting that changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, Wang pointed out that there is a greater need for carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit and such a cooperation platform as the SCO.

He said that all member states should work together to make the SCO bigger and stronger. China will continue to take the SCO as a diplomatic priority, provide convenience and support for the work of the Secretariat as always, and support Kazakhstan’s work during its rotating presidency of the SCO.

China is ready to work with all parties to ensure that this year’s Astana Summit will produce fruitful results, open up new prospects for the development of the SCO, and contribute more to lasting peace and common prosperity of the world, Wang said.

Over the past 20 years, the SCO has grown from six member states to a big family of 26 member states, observers and dialogue partners, creating a new cooperation model featuring solidarity and coordination, openness, win-win results, inclusiveness and mutual learning among countries with different social systems and development paths, said Zhang Ming, Secretary-General of the SCO.

Zhang said the Secretariat will continue to provide solid support for the SCO’s development.

More than 200 people, including diplomatic envoys of SCO countries and representatives of international organizations in China, attended the reception

Twenty years ago, on 15 January 2004, Beijing, China, hosted the opening ceremony of the SCO Secretariat, which was attended by Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Li Zhaoxing, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Askar Aitmatov, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ivanov, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan Talbak Nazarov, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sodiq Safoyev and SCO Executive Secretary Zhang Deguang.

On this occasion, the first SCO Executive Secretary (the position was later transformed into the SCO Secretary-General) received congratulatory messages from the heads of the SCO member states and a message from the UN Secretary-General.

Today, the SCO Secretariat plays a crucial role in coordinating and providing information and analytical support for the Organisation’s activities. It also conducts preliminary legal and financial expert analysis of SCO treaties and regulatory documents. Additionally, the Secretariat serves as the depository of documents adopted within the SCO framework, and provides organisational and technical support for meetings and sessions of SCO bodies. Furthermore, it coordinates SCO’s interactions with observer states, dialogue partners and international organisations.

The Secretary-General, who is approved by the SCO Heads of State Council upon the proposal of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO member states, leads the Secretariat.

SCO Secretary-Generals

Zhang Deguang (People’s Republic of China) in 2004-2006;

Bolat Nurgaliyev (Republic of Kazakhstan) in 2007-2009;

Muratbek Imanaliev (Republic of Kyrgyzstan) in 2010-2012;

Dmitry Mezentsev (Russian Federation) in 2013-2015;

Rashid Alimov (Republic of Tajikistan) in 2016-2018;

Vladimir Norov (Republic of Uzbekistan) in 2019-2022;

Zhang Ming (People’s Republic of China) from 2022 onwards.

SCO member state has permanent representatives in the SCO Secretariat.

The staff of the Secretariat consists of 36 officials appointed by member states according to country quotas. Additionally, a number of technical staff are hired from among the nationals of the host country.

The Secretariat comprises six departments that handle political, economic, humanitarian, information and analytical, administrative and legal affairs and international relations.