During China’s tenure as the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), to leverage the advantages of the arbitration to promote the prosperity and stability of regional economic and trade relations, the SCO Arbitration Law Forum was held on April 25, which was jointly hosted by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region  in Urumqi, Xinjiang. This forum has been included in China’s key activity plan as the SCO chair in 2024-2025. Prior to the Forum, Erken Tuniyaz, Chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, met with Chinese and foreign guests attending the event.

Yu Jianlong, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Vice Chairman of CIETAC, and Zhu Lifan, Vice Chairman of the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, attended the opening ceremony and delivered opening remarks. Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC, presided over the opening ceremony and the   achievement release ceremony. The Forum brought together over 380 representatives from government agencies, judicial authorities, chambers of commerce, arbitration institutions, and bar associations across 20 SCO member states, observer states, and dialogue partners, as well as 28 Belt and Road countries and regions including Turkmenistan, the UK, Singapore, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Hong Kong SAR. Among themwere168 international attendees. Nearly 20 media outlets, including Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily, China Daily, and Global Times, provided on-site coverage. The Forum was livestreamed in Chinese, English, and Russian via platforms such as Xinhua Live, China News Service, Toutiao, Facebook, and YouTube, attracting over 17 million views from 32 countries and regions.

(Forum Venue)

Vice Chairman Yu Jianlong emphasized that the SCO has consistently upheld the “Shanghai Spirit”, setting a model for establishing a new type of international relations. In the face of the current volatile international economic and trade landscape, fostering a closer SCO community with a shared future is of significant practical importance for promoting regional and global peace and development. As a globally recognized dispute resolution method, arbitration plays a vital role in safeguarding SCO regional economic cooperation and maintaining stable international trade relations. Looking ahead, he called for deepening international cooperation and building an open and inclusive international arbitration ecosystem, upholding fairness and efficiency to deliver high-level international commercial arbitration services, and embracing the digital transformation to drive new growth drivers and competitive advantages in the digital era. He concluded by calling for joint efforts to advance the prosperity of international arbitration,  contribute to a fair and equitable global governance system, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Yu Jianlong, Vice Chairman of CCPIT and CIETAC, delivering opening remarks)

Vice Chairman Zhu Lifan highlighted Xinjiang’s role as a “golden channel” connecting Asia and Europe, and a bridgehead for opening-up to the West. Xinjiang has always adhered to the concept of “extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits” , thereby deeply integrating itself into regional cooperation and development. He stated that SCO member states are key partners in the Belt and Road Initiative, and economic and trade exchanges growing closer in recent years,  accompanied by a corresponding rise in commercial disputes. He urged stakeholders to leverage arbitration as a bridge to establish more efficient and inclusive regional dispute resolution mechanisms; be guided by the rule of law to further strengthen the positive interaction between the judiciary and arbitration and enhance regional legal synergy; advocate for deeper legal collaboration on arbitration with the SCOby establishing a regular exchange mechanism to promote the “soft connection” of the rule of law in the region, and inject new momentum into building a closer community with a shared future.

(Zhu Lifan, Vice Chairman of the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, delivering opening remarks)

To deepen arbitration exchanges and cooperation under the SCO framework, and to build an important regional legal cooperation platform to safeguard the prosperity and stability of international trade and economic relations, CIETAC issued the SCO Arbitration Forum International Cooperation Initiative  (Initiative). The Initiative advocates calls on all parties to enhance mutual trust, build consensus, expand practical cooperation in arbitration within the SCO framework, improve the diversified dispute resolution system, and jointly foster a closer SCO community with a shared future. The Initiative has received widespread support from 29 international arbitration institutions from SCO countries, with a shared commitment to deepening exchanges, promoting win-win cooperation, strengthening unity and collaboration, and advancing the principle of sustainable development.

The Release Ceremony of the Initiative was chaired by Secretary-General Wang Chengjie. Vice Chairman Yu Jianlong, Vice Chairman Zhu Lifan, Deputy Chief Judge of Fourth Civil Division of the Supreme People’s Court Wang Haifeng, Secretary-General Wang Chengjie, and representatives from six major arbitration institutions of SCO member states, including International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (ICAC at the RF CCI), International Arbitration Institute of Kyrgyzstan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICACCI), Belarus International Arbitration Court, the Center for International Investment and Commercial Arbitration (CIICA), International Commercial Arbitration at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tajikistan (ICAT), Astana International Financial Centre Court (AIFC) and its International Arbitration Centre (IAC), stepped onto the stage to jointly endorse the launch of the Initiative. The announcement was met with warm and sustained applause from the audience.

(Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC, presiding over the Release Ceremony)

(Leaders and institutional representatives endorsing the Initiative, from left to right: Muhammad MAHMUDOV, Vice President of ICAT; Aleksei KOROCHKIN, President of Belarus International Arbitration Court; Saltanat Sultanovna IMANOVA, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ICACCI; Wang Haifeng , Deputy Chief Judge of Fourth Civil Division of the Supreme People’s Court; Yu Jianlong , Vice Chairman of CCPIT; Zhu Lifan, Vice Chairman of the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; Wang Chengjie, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CIETAC; Natalia PRISEKINA, in charge of ICAC at the RF CCI Vladivostok Branch; Rana Sajjad AHMAD, President of CIICA; Almat IGENBAYEV, Director of Case Management Division of AIFC and IAC)

The Initiative emphasizes that arbitration is an important mechanism for international economic, trade and investment dispute resolution, trusted by commercial entities worldwide. In order to deepen international arbitration cooperation within the SCO, it is necessary to uphold independence, impartiality and efficiency, and to provide diversified service; create a friendly judicial environment and strengthen the cross-border enforcement of awards; embrace the trend of scientific and technological innovation, and empower the green development of arbitration; deepen regional exchanges and cooperation, and build a harmonious arbitration ecosystem; and cultivate young talents, and strengthen the foundation of development.

The forum featured “Arbitration Unites for Cooperation, Rule of Law Escorts a New Journey”. 21 experts from China and abroad had fruitful exchanges on topics such as “Co-Construction of Rules: Synergy in International Arbitration” and “Frontier Solutions: Emerging Dispute Resolution Strategies”.

The thematic speeches session focused on “Co-Construction of Rules: Synergy in International Arbitration” and was hosted by Wang Han, former Vice President of Northwest University of Political Science and Law, expert member of the China International Commercial Court of the Supreme People’s Court, and CIETAC Arbitrator. Speakers introduced the relevant arbitration legislation and dispute resolution practices of the SCO countries and Central Asia, shared their practical experiences on hot topics such as strengthening cooperation among dispute resolution institutions, promoting mutual learning and convergence of  interregional dispute resolution rules, strengthening legal and judicial support for arbitration, promoting the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards, and promoting the establishment of a more efficient and inclusive regional dispute resolution mechanism. 

(Panelists during thematic speeches, from top to bottom, from left to right: Mr. Wang Han; Deputy Chief Judge Wang Haifeng; Rana Sajjad AHMAD, President of CIICA; Muhammad MAHMUDOV, President of ICAT; Enkhtsetseg SUKHBAATAR, Mongolian International Arbitration Center; Natalia PRISEKINA, in charge of ICAC at the RF CCI Vladivostok Branch; Almat IGENBAYEV, Director of Case Management Division of AIFC and IAC; Saltanat Sultanovna IMANOVA, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ICACCI; Jiang Siyuan, Secretary-General of China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Training Base for International Judicial Exchanges and Cooperation; Lu Fei, Director of the Business Development Division of CIETAC )

A roundtable discussion on “Frontier Solutions: Emerging Dispute Resolution Strategies” was hosted by Sun Wei, Court Member of International Court of Arbitration , Partner of Zhong Lun Law Firm , and CIETAC Arbitrator. The panelists shared their insights and solutions on emerging types of cases such as cross-border energy and infrastructure, Chinese Enterprises “Going Global” strategy and its associated legal and compliance risks,, enterprise and investment dispute resolution practices in the relevant SCO countries, AI applications in arbitration, opportunities and challenges for dispute resolution, provided new perspectives to promote the innovative development of international arbitration.

(Roundtable discussion participants, from top to bottom, from left to right: Mr. Sun Wei; Rajendra Prasad ADHIKARI, President of Nepal Council of Arbitration (NEPCA); Du Jiangbo, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and General Manager of the Department of Corporate Reform and Legal Affairs, SINOPEC Group; Aziz ARIPDJANOV, arbitrator of The TIAC Court of Arbitration, managing partner of Aziz&Partners; A. J. JAWAD, director of International Arbitration and Mediation Center (IAMC) , Hyderabad in India; Arash IZADI, arbitrator of the Arbitration Center of the Iran Chamber of Commerce (ACIC), Iran China Chamber Of Commerce and Industries, and CIETAC; Chitra WEDDIKKARA, member of Board of Governors of Sri Lanka National Arbitration Centre; Rachel TURNER, partner of Pinsent Masons; Lin Hui, managing partner of China Commercial Lam Lee Lai (Qianhai) Associate Law Firm; Gulnur Nurkeyeva, managing partner of GRATA international law firm and director of China office)

The half-day forum ended with lively discussions and exchanges of ideas and was concluded with closing remarks by Secretary-General Wang Chengjie. Chen Yulin, Secretary-General of the CCPIT Xinjiang Committee, presided over the closing ceremony.

(Wang Chengjie delivering closing remarks)

Secretary-General Wang Chengjie stated in his closing speech that this forum provided a broad space for the regional and global arbitration communities to exchange views and learn from one another. It was a fruitful conference that gathers consensus and bears the mission and responsibility. The SCO is an important force in maintaining world peace and development, and in building a community of shared future in the region. In the current context, it is of great practical significance and necessity to build and develop a sound SCO regional arbitration ecosystem, and to strengthen solidarity and collaboration among arbitration institutions. He called on all sectors to actively implement the Initiative, and to strengthen practical cooperation in exploring the establishment of mechanisms for the identification of extraterritorial laws, the mutual assistance in the service of judicial documents, and the mutual recommendation of arbitrators under the SCO framework. He also encouraged embracing the wave of   technological and industrial innovation to promote the vigorous development of international exchanges on the rule of law.

(Chen Yulin, Secretary-General of the CCPIT Xinjiang Committee, hosting the closing ceremony)

The forum provided a high-level platform for the SCO arbitration community to jointly explore the development of international arbitration and promote regional economic and trade cooperation. Participants reached broad consensus on enhancing exchanges, cooperation, and coordinated development within the SCO framework and the global arbitration community. The event was a complete success and made important contributions to strengthening the institutional role of arbitration, promoting economic connectivity and cooperative development in the SCO region, and constructing a fairer and more equitable international economic order.