In response to the spirit of the important speeches made by President Xi Jinping at the 23rd and 24th Meetings of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Green Development Forum of SCO Countries was held in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, from July 8 to 9, 2024. The Forum was organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, the People’s Government of Shandong Province, and the SCO Secretariat. It was the first large-scale event hosted by China after assuming the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025, and also the first high-level event among SCO countries with a focus on green development. The Forum was an important step in acting on the consensus of the leaders of the SCO Astana Summit.

　　President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China sent greetings to the participants, which was read out by Shen Yueyue, Deputy Chair of the All-China Committee of the People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chair of the Chinese Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO. Shen Yueyue also delivered the keynote speech at the Forum’s opening ceremony.

　　The event was attended by state leaders from Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Azerbaijan, as well as heads of environmental departments or senior officials from 20 SCO countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, the Maldives, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, and Sri Lanka. In addition, diplomatic envoys to China, experts and scholars, business representatives, and officials from international organizations such as the SCO Secretariat and the UN Environment Programme were also present, bringing the total number of participants to around 350. Under the theme of “Joining hands in green development, promoting harmony between humanity and nature”, participants shared green development experiences and discussed prospects for regional cooperation

　　In his speech, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming expressed gratitude to the President of the People’s Republic of China for his attention to the Forum. He emphasized the importance of deepening ecological and environmental cooperation among SCO countries and outlined the Organization’s strategies for creating a green environment, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and ensuring sustainable development in the region. Zhang Ming also highlighted the accomplishments achieved during the SCO Year of Ecology 2024 and other initiatives. He urged all parties to continue strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation to foster healthy, stable, and sustainable development.

　　The Green Development Forum of SCO Countries featured various activities including the main forum (opening ceremony), three parallel sub-forums, a themed exhibition, and field research. At the opening ceremony, the Initiative Building the Green Development Partnership & Jointly Promoting Sustainable Development was launched. it calls on countries to uphold the “Shanghai Spirit”, strengthen cooperation in green development and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

　　This forum is the first high-level event hosted by China since assuming the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It has demonstrated high-level participation, significant influence, and fruitful outcomes, highlighting the SCO’s strong vitality and wide-reaching impact as a multilateral cooperation platform. The active participation and strong support from member states have deepened mutual understanding and trust among nations and further strengthened the organization’s central role in advancing regional and global green development cooperation.

　　Looking ahead, the SCO will adhere to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, deepen regional cooperation on green development and strengthen collective action in global environmental governance, so as to build a beautiful planet where humans and nature thrive together. We firmly believe that all member states will jointly create a greener and more sustainable blueprint for the SCO community with a shared future with enhanced mutual trust and strengthened cooperative ties.