On 25 September 2023, Suzhou, China hosted the SCO conference on the development of medical and pharmaceutical cooperation. Attendees included representatives from the public and private sectors related to healthcare from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
During the conference, issues of strengthening international cooperation in the field of medicine and pharmaceuticals, harmonising quality control and registration of medicines within the SCO, and ensuring that pharmaceuticals have access to the markets of the SCO member states were all discussed.
The participants adopted the Suzhou Initiative following the SCO Conference on the Development of Medical and Pharmaceutical Cooperation, which reflects the goals and tasks related to the further promotion of SCO cooperation in pharma and healthcare, as well as ways to create an expanded, open, mutually beneficial and equal partnership aimed at the effective development of the pharmaceutical industry in the SCO space.