Pakistan kicks off SCO chairmanship talks

National coordinators of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are scheduled to meet in Islamabad from September 28 to 30 to discuss the organisation’s programme of activities during Pakistan’s chairmanship.

The meeting will be the first session of the SCO Council of National Coordinators (CNC) to be held under Pakistan’s chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27.

The session will be chaired by Pakistan’s national coordinator for the SCO. Representatives from other member states and officials from the SCO Secretariat will also participate.

The participants are expected to discuss a range of issues related to cooperation and coordination within the organisation. Key matters will include activities planned under Pakistan’s chairmanship, preparations for upcoming SCO meetings and events, and other items on the organisation’s agenda.

Pakistan formally assumed the SCO chairmanship for 2026-27 following the Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek. The country is also scheduled to host the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in Islamabad in 2027.

Pakistan has announced that its chairmanship will be conducted under the theme “Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity”. The government has said its priorities include improving regional connectivity, promoting innovation, strengthening economic cooperation and expanding people-to-people contacts.

The upcoming CNC meeting will serve as an early engagement under Pakistan’s chairmanship and will contribute to preparations for several high-level meetings and activities planned during the year.

The 2027 summit is expected to be the central event of Pakistan’s chairmanship. Islamabad has already begun preparations for the gathering, including arrangements related to venues and accommodation for visiting delegations.

Pakistan has hosted several SCO-related meetings in Islamabad in recent months. In July, the country hosted a meeting of heads of border services from SCO member states, while in September it chaired a meeting of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.