Following the SCO Youth Assembly which took place from 8 to 12 November 2018, the SCO Secretary-General held a news conference for the Chinese and international media.
During the gathering with journalists, Rashid Alimov noted a number of important aspects of the Youth Assembly.
The Secretary-General pointed out that the core focus of the Dongfang event was the intention for the practical implementation of the Address of the SCO Heads of State to the Youth adopted following the SCO summit in Qingdao on 10 June 2018. "Proactivity and enthusiasm demonstrated by the young people during the assembly, aspiration to participate in the Organisation's youth movement as well as commitment to the principles of the Shanghai spirit have become a solidary response of the SCO youth representatives to the address by the heads of state," Rashid Alimov said.
"The assembly confirmed that the SCO youth strives for creation, development, sharing goals and principles, ideals and values outlined in the Address. We can see that the young people are willing to give a tough response to all kinds of extremism and terrorist activities and to make its contribution to the strengthening of security and stability, maintaining stable joint development across the region of the Organisation," the Secretary-General stressed.
The Secretary-General also praised the developing youth policy within the Organisation. "The heads of SCO governments voiced their support for the assembly following their meeting in Dushanbe which took place from 11 to 12 October 2018. We noted the SCO Youth Council's increasingly proactive attitude, interesting projects developed and implemented by the Youth League at the SCO Secretariat. All these initiatives are an additional support for self-development of young people, broadening their horizons together with opening up new opportunities," Rashid Alimov pointed out.
Another important aspect of the Dongfang Assembly, according to Rashid Alimov, was the young people's intense interest in the event.
"Unfortunately, our limited capacity did not allow us to invite everybody who wanted to participate in the event. However, without a doubt the SCO youth movement will continue to gain momentum and the Organisation's youth gatherings will take place on an even greater scale and more and more young people will attend."
Speaking about the programme of the assembly in Dongfang, Rashid Alimov said: "There was an entire range of various events the aim of which was comprehensive personal development, knowledge acquisition, broadening one's mind and outlook, introducing young people to the traditional values and culture that the Eurasian countries share."
The Secretary-General also told the media that the assembly created the necessary conditions for the young people to speak openly and freely about their problems. "The assembly became a platform for the young people to brainstorm ideas. Some of them had experience while the others had knowledge; some had ideas while others were full of energy. This synergy of knowledge, experience, eagerness, ambition and will produces the required effect of collaboration," Rashid Alimov stressed.
The SCO Secretary-General also highly appreciated the organisation of the event and emphasised that "for the first time, the United Nations addressed the SCO Youth Assembly. Undersecretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov and Natalia Gherman, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, addressed the participants. Rashid Alimov said that, in his opinion, this indicates that "the assembly is not a small circle of selected youth representatives but a global phenomenon."
The SCO Youth Assembly took place in Dongfang (Hainan Province) from 8 to 12 November and involved over 300 young people from the SCO Family.