On June 22–24, 2026, the first consultative meeting of national human rights institutions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states was held in Bishkek in a hybrid format, on the initiative of the Kyrgyz Republic and under its chairmanship. The event was attended by Commissioners for Human Rights of the SCO member states, representatives of state bodies and other organisations exercising functions of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO Piao Yanfang.
President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, in his welcoming address to the participants, noted that Kyrgyzstan, during its presidency, pays special attention to further strengthening the institutional framework of the Organisation, promoting practice-oriented initiatives, and expanding cooperation across all areas of SCO activities. He emphasised that the establishment of this consultative format represents an important step in developing the humanitarian dimension of the Organisation and enhancing interaction among its member states in this area.
The Head of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the Kyrgyz Republic, Marlen Mamataliev, received the heads of delegations. During the meeting, the parties exchanged information regarding mandates, key areas of activity, and best practices in the protection of human rights and freedoms, taking into account international standards and the national specificities of the SCO member states. The participants supported the initiative of the Ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic to hold regular consultative meetings of national human rights institutions, state bodies and other organisations of the SCO member states exercising functions in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens. The parties agreed that this would create conditions for the exchange of experience and best practices, as well as for developing common approaches to current human rights issues.
In her remarks, Piao Yanfang highly commended the initiative of the Kyrgyz side aimed at strengthening cooperation in the field of human rights within the Organisation. It was noted that the SCO is an important component of the Global South, and its member states share similar or unified views on human rights matters. Guided by the "Shanghai Spirit" and focusing on the needs of citizens, the Organisation consistently makes a significant contribution to the development of human rights, thus playing a positive role in the reform and improvement of the global governance system.
The Deputy Secretary-General emphasised that in the Tianjin Declaration of September 1, 2025, the heads of SCO member states reaffirmed the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights, as well as the obligations to observe the rights and fundamental freedoms of the individual, and spoke out against the application of double standards in human rights issues and interference in the internal affairs of other states under the pretext of protecting human rights. The Declaration stresses that the member states, while implementing the above-mentioned agreements, must effectively continue to promote equal dialogue and mutual learning in this sphere, so that the SCO's voice in the field of global human rights governance is widely heard, with a view to shaping a just, democratic and multipolar world order.
On the sidelines of the event, a meeting was held between Piao Yanfang and the Akyikatchy (Ombudsman) of the Kyrgyz Republic, Jamila Dzhumabaeva. They exchanged views on the areas of future joint work.