On 31 March 2021, the SCO Secretariat hosted an interactive educational game for high school students from the general education school of the Russian Embassy in China, entitled the Model SCO.
SCO Secretariat officials, the staff of the Russian Embassy in Beijing, the school's teachers, parents and "fans" from SCO countries were able to personally watch online a play version of an SCO Council of National Coordinators meeting, only reenacted by the school students.
The Model SCO participants prepared for the game two months. Since the leaders of the Organisation's member states proclaimed 2021 the Year of SCO Culture, young boys and girls ̵ some of whom are sure to devote their future to diplomacy ̵ focused on the development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
In a lively discussion they tested their intellectual and creative abilities and gained valuable experience in holding talks, upholding the position of their nations, and searching for and obtaining mutually beneficial solutions.
Zhang Haizhou, SCO Deputy Secretary-General, said at the closing ceremony that the schoolchildren's awareness of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation deserve top marks.
"The Model SCO participants have provided an example of how agreements must be reached based on the SCO Charter, which places consensus at its core. At the same time, you showed a high level of mutual understanding and reciprocal trust.
Moreover, you have put forward a number of interesting ideas and proposals. We will definitely take a closer look at and take note of some of them in order to put them into practice," Zhang Haizhou said.
The SCO Deputy Secretary-General sincerely thanked all the participants of the game and presented them with letters of recognition and souvenirs bearing SCO insignia.
The school- version Model SCO, an interactive educational game that re-enacts a meeting of the Council of National Coordinators, one of the SCO's major bodies, has been held since 2016 among middle and senior schoolchildren of the general education school under the Russian Embassy in China.
The game facilitates students' immersion into the history and practice of international relations and multilateral diplomacy, and aims to improve negotiating skills and teamwork. It helps participants generate new ideas and arrive at solutions that take account of each other's interests, while enhancing friendship, understanding and mutual respect among the peoples of the SCO member states.