From 24 to 26 September 2026, a delegation of the SCO Secretariat attended the 12th St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum. The event, opened by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, was held with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Administration of St. Petersburg. It was organized by the Roscongress Foundation. The theme was "United Cultures - Common Values."
The representative of the SCO Secretariat took part in the plenary session, the panel discussion "Cultural Sovereignty in Civilizational Dialogue between East and West," and a session chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova.
On the sidelines of the Forum, meetings were held with Russian and foreign participants, during which the Secretariat delegation briefed its interlocutors on the SCO's work on the cultural and humanitarian track.
The United Cultures Forum, held since 2012, is an international platform for cooperation in the field of culture and art and for discussing the development of the modern cultural environment.
In 2026, it was attended by more than 4,500 people from over 70 countries. Forty-three foreign delegations arrived in St. Petersburg, 18 of which were led by relevant ministers. Representatives of government bodies, international organizations, cultural institutions, professional associations and the creative community took part in the main and youth programmes.