Rashid Alimov and Antonio Guterres hold an informal meeting in New York

On 13 June 2018, SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a casual meeting at the Greentree Estate in New York.

During the meeting, the officials exchanged opinions on the current state and further development of cooperation between the SCO, the UN and the structural units of this global organisation.

During the meeting, Rashid Alimov expressed deep gratitude to Antonio Guterres for the participation of a high-level UN delegation headed by UN First Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed in the SCO summit held on 9-10 June 2018 in Qingdao, China. Mr Alimov also noted that this testified to strong and effective ties between the two organisations. "Through the Qingdao Declaration, the SCO member states once again expressed their firm support for the efforts of the UN as a universal multilateral organisation to maintain international peace and security, energise global development and promote and protect human rights," the SCO Secretary-General stated.

The officials also outlined a plan of practical joint steps for the second half of 2018. The parties also stated that the adoption of another UN General Assembly resolution on cooperation between the UN and the SCO would become a key factor in their interaction.

The officials also held a frank discussion on the possible conceptual aspects of strengthening ties between the UN and regional organisations.