United Nations debates on SCO
New Delhi, Sep 6: The United Nations General Assembly ended the substantive part of its seventy-ninth session by adopting a number of resolutions on issues ranging from the revitalisation of its own work to the resumption of a high-level conference on Palestine. One of the most debated items was cooperation between the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The Assembly adopted the resolution titled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation” by a recorded vote of 120 in favour, 27 against and 28 abstentions. The United States voted against, arguing that the SCO is not a neutral forum but rather a geopolitical platform dominated by China and others to challenge multilateral norms and shield authoritarian practices.
Russia and China strongly defended the SCO. Moscow’s delegate expressed disappointment at the opposition, calling the grouping an “engine of global development and genuine multilateralism.” China’s representative accused Washington of politicising the issue, saying the United States was isolating itself by going against the majority of member states.
The vote comes just days after the latest SCO summit in China, where Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The three leaders were seen walking together in a show of unity, underscoring how the grouping has grown in influence as a forum bringing together major Eurasian powers at a time of shifting global alignments.
Alongside the SCO debate, the Assembly also decided to resume the suspended High-Level International Conference on Palestine and the two-state solution on 22 September, during its eightieth session. Saudi Arabia, which introduced the draft oral decision, stressed that the dire situation on the ground made continued dialogue essential.
Israel and the United States both dissociated themselves from this decision, criticising the process as rushed and politically motivated. Israel said the move would embolden Hamas rather than help achieve peace, while Washington called it an “ill-timed publicity stunt” that risked undermining real diplomatic efforts.
