The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) celebrates its 25th anniversary, as the 10-member regional alliance holds a summit-level meeting on Aug. 31-Sept. 1 in Kyrgyzstan.

As the top leaders from Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (Host), Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan converged on Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the question uppermost in the minds of experts and analysts is whether the SCO has any future. This is given the backdrop of ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine perpetrated by the United States, Israel, and Russia that shut doors on a multilateral approach to diffuse tensions. More importantly, the SCO member-states are embroiled in regional rivalries that are hard to hide beneath the rug, losing fast its relevance to effect any tangible outcome in resolving conflicts and global crises, and providing security to its member-countries.

The upside is that the SCO has evolved from having a narrow Central Asia border security focus to become a wider regional institution. Although Russia and China take such opportunities to build up an anti-West rally, it has found appeal among Global

South that largely seeks alternatives to Western-led architectures.

Türkiye, besides many other countries like Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Egypt form SCO’s Plus Format & Guest/Partner Nations.

The SCO seems to have a long way to go before making any solid ground of its own in the international arena to get attention. No country, for instance, shows up as an acknowledged face of the leadership that can anchor the alliance. Yet, so far so good.