As China assuming the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), officially launched "SCO Arbitration Forum" International Cooperation Initiative (the "Initiative"), a crucial achievement aimed at promoting the legal cooperation on arbitration and the rule of law within the SCO region. The announcement was made at the SCO Arbitration Forum in Urumqi, Xinjiang on April 25, 2025.
（At the launch ceremony of the Initiative, prominent leaders and institutional representatives supporting the launch of the Initiative, stood in the following order from left to right: Muhammad MAHMUDOV, Vice Deputy of International Commercial Arbitration Court, Tajikistan Chamber of Commerce, Aleksei KOROCHKIN, Chairman of the Chamber of Arbitrators at the Union of Lawyers, Saltanat Sultanovna IMANOVA, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the International Court of Arbitration in affiliation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, Wang Haifeng, Deputy Chief Judge of the Fourth Civil Division of the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China, Yu Jianlong, Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Zhu Lifan, Executive Vice Governor of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman & Secretary General of CIETAC, Natalia PRISEKINA, Head of the Branch of the RF CCI-Executive Secretary of the Branch of the International Commercial Arbitration Court and the Branch of the Maritime Arbitration Commission at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation in Vladivostok, Rana Sajjad AHMAD, President of the Center for International Investment and Commercial Arbitration, Almat IGENBAYEV, Managing Director of Case Management Department of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC Court) and the International Arbitration Center (IAC) of the AIFC.）
With the in-depth development of economic globalization, arbitration has become a trusted and widely recognized dispute resolution mechanism for international commercial and investment disputes. It plays an increasingly significant role in settling cross-border disputes and advancing global economic and trade cooperation. Enhancing international collaboration and promoting integrated development have emerged as defining trends of the times.
In recent years, as global trade and investment become more interconnected, the demand for effective international dispute resolution has grown significantly. Facilitating international arbitration cooperation is a practical necessity for resolving cross-border commercial disputes. There is now a growing consensus on the need to build a international arbitration legal community, with regional arbitration cooperation already underway. Strengthening international partnership aligned with the shared expectations of both SCO region and the international arbitration community. As economic and trade cooperation within the SCO framework continues to deepen, the demand from business across member states for efficient cross-border dispute resolution is steadily increasing. In this context, improving the quality of arbitration services and deepening legal exchanges under the SCO framework not only serves as a crucial driver of regional prosperity and development, but also contributes to the rule of law in global governance. This effort carries both practical significance and strategic necessity.
（Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman & Secretary General of CIETAC, presided over the launch of the Initiative.）
The Initiative put forward that arbitration is an essential mechanism for resolving cross-border commercial disputes. To deepen economic and trade cooperation while leveraging arbitration to support high- quality development, and to build a closer arbitration community with shared future, SCO regional are called upon to uphold independence, fairness and efficiency, promoting alternative dispute resolution services; foster an arbitration-friendly judicial environment, enable cross-border enforcement of arbitral awards; embrace technological innovation, advance green arbitration; deepen regional cooperation, build a harmonious arbitration ecosystem; train young legal talents, lay a solid foundation for future development.
During the forum, CIETAC launched the Initiative, which received extensive support from 29 international arbitration institutions across 24 of the 26 SCO member and observer states. In the future, CIETAC will work closely with all parties to actively promote the implementation of the Initiative, further expand practical cooperation in the field of arbitration under the SCO framework. Together, we aim to enhance a diversified dispute resolution system, and foster an open, inclusive, and interconnected international arbitration ecosystem, and jointly shape a new chapter for the development of international arbitration.
Appendix: “Shanghai Cooperation Organization” International Cooperation Initiative (Bilingual Text)
