The eighth Tashkent SCO Model was held in UWED

As part of the events organized during Uzbekistan's chairmanship in the SCO, on November 10 this year, the 8th interactive game "SCO Model" was held at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy on the theme: "Peace and prosperity in Central Asia is the main factor in ensuring stability throughout the SCO space".  The event is timed to coincide with the celebration of World Youth Day and was held in a combined hybrid - online and offline formats. The project is being implemented by the University of World Economy and Diplomacy with the SCO People's Diplomacy Center in Uzbekistan together with the SCO Youth Platform SCOLAR Network with the support of the SCO Secretariat.

The main purpose of the SCO Model is to encourage the interest of young people in the Organization's activities within the framework of the format of modeling political discussions of summits at the highest level of the SCO member states. The current eighth "SCO Model" reproduced the activities of one of the main mechanisms of the Organization — the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO member states. The event helped to improve the understanding of the functioning and work of the Organization by young people. It was attended by delegates from 8 countries of the SCO region, who represented the member States and the SCO Secretariat.

The SCO Model delegates made presentations with proposals to improve the situation and achieve stability in Central Asia and in the region as a whole. They discussed the final document of the Communique with the proposed initiatives from the delegations. The participants of the event also noted the concrete and practical nature of the proposals of the President of Uzbekistan, voiced during the September summit in Dushanbe, to solve the above problems. In particular, this is the need for a timely and joint response to common challenges and threats, building up regional economic cooperation, strengthening friendship and deepening cultural and humanitarian cooperation in the SCO space.

This and other joint projects of the UWED and the SCO Center for People's Diplomacy are aimed at supporting independent, free-thinking and identifying gifted youth representatives, and in general at unlocking their creative potential and developing their social activity.

In the welcoming speech of the Rector of UMED, S.Safoev, it was particularly noted about the role of the SCO as a regional organization that contributes to the multifaceted development of all countries in the region. The opinion was expressed about the role of youth that these educational games contribute to the interest of young people in international relations and diplomacy.

In the speech of the SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov, it was noted that the voiced ideas of the delegates testify to the deep and conscious thinking of young people, their desire and ability to show their intellectual abilities not only within a given role-playing game, but also in real state and public work for the benefit of their states and the entire SCO Family space. V. Norov noted the importance of the event and stressed that talented youth representatives can make a significant contribution to the development of Central Asia. In this regard, it is important to disseminate the experience of the interactive game "SCO Model" and the volunteer youth movement "SCOLAR" in all countries with the SCO family with the active support of national youth associations and councils.

Director of the SCO People's Diplomacy Center in Uzbekistan K. Sabirov recalled that over the past years the SCO has become an important subject of world politics, has taken its rightful place among influential international structures. The regional partnership based on the principles of the "Shanghai spirit" has significantly strengthened. The interactive game "SCO Model" demonstrated the growing interest of young people of the republic in the activities of the Organization aimed at strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good neighborliness between the peoples of our countries.

At the end of the conference, certificates were awarded to the participants of the event, and the winners in the nomination "Best Report" were the Delegation of China (Umarova Nilufar and Voitzhonov Ilesbek, 3rd year students of the Faculty of International Relations), "Best Delegate" (Sayidov Daler, 3rd year student of the Faculty of International Relations) and "Best Debut" (Saraev Samandar, 2nd year student of the Faculty of International Relations) they were awarded diplomas of the SCO Secretariat.