Event Review | III Model SCO “SCO Youth Entrepreneurship: Challenges and New Horizons.”

On the 12th of June 2019, the Third “Model SCO” Youth Conference under the topic “SCO Youth Entrepreneurship: Challenges and New Horizons” took place at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretariat in Beijing. The event had 22 delegates from 12 different countries, including member and observer states of the SCO, coming together to put forward their suggestions for improving the business environment in their countries and the region to empower young people, foster innovation, and solve the issue of unemployment. It is crucial to note that the event was held only one day before the SCO Heads of State Council meeting, which took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on the 13th-14th of June.

The Secretariat of the SCO Business Council sent a welcome letter to the youth conference participants. The Executive Secretary of the SCO Business Council, Sergey Kanavsky, expressed confidence that the activities of delegates in various fields will become an integral part of the constructive dialogue between the countries within the SCO and, in particular, it’s economic part, which will allow the Organization to move confidently in the future.

During the opening ceremony, participants of the conference were greeted by the Deputy Secretary General of the SCO Nurlan Akkoshkarov and the Deputy Secretary General of the SCO Sherali Saidamir Jonon. Delegates started the Third “Model SCO” by presenting their speeches as representatives of their countries. They explained the difficulties young entrepreneurs in their countries are currently facing, explored ways of regional cooperation among the SCO nations on developing youth entrepreneurship and presented their related initiatives. Overall, reports of youth representatives of the 8 member states and 4 observer states of the SCO, as well as delegates assuming roles of the SCO Secretary General and the Director of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO were presented during the conference. The level of dedication and thoughtfulness with which the delegates addressed the conference topic was truly remarkable. Suggested regional cooperation projects included, among others, the creation of an online educational platform for young entrepreneurs from the SCO region, further development of the SCO Youth Card project to improve regional youth mobility and discussion of establishing the SCO Biodiversity Research Centers for development of youth-led eco-entrepreneurship. The wide scope of the proposed initiatives and their significant potential demonstrated that young people see the SCO as a valuable platform for regional cooperation, and that they are truly capable of contributing to development of the Organization.

During the second part of the conference, participants engaged in a thorough and passionate discussion of the proposed initiatives. Following the rule of consensus in decision-making, delegates voiced their opinions on the projects included in the Joint Statement of the Participants of the Third “Model SCO” Youth Conference, made mutually agreed adjustments for the final version of the document. The process of drafting the Joint Statement proved the high level of professionalism of the young delegates, their deep care for finding mutually beneficial solutions and their exceptional attention to details of every proposed regional cooperation project.

Olesya Dovgalyuk
（Russia）
**Best delegate**

Batsanaa Ganbat
（Mongolia）
**Outstanding speech**

Moaaz Zamir Awan
（Pakistan）
**Outstanding delegate**

Upon agreement on the contents of the Joint Statement, closing remarks were given by the SCO Deputy Secretary General Sherali Saidamir Jonon. His Excellency expressed full support from the SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov on the “Model SCO” youth conference, saying that the Secretariat supports the event on a broader scale, in different Universities and schools of the SCO countries. He awarded all delegates and volunteers with certificates of participation. At the end of the conference, all participants voted for the Best Speech and the Best Delegate. Winners of the first and second places in both categories were awarded prizes by the conference organizers. Other delegates and volunteers also received gifts for their participation and contribution to making the event happen.

Overall, the Third “Model SCO” Youth Conference turned out to be highly professional and inspiring. The event became a statement of how much SCO youth can contribute to making the work of the organization more efficient, relevant to concerns of young people and, most importantly, aligned with the most crucial international trends of the future. SCOLAR Network expresses sincere gratitude to the SCO Secretariat, the Secretariat of the SCO Business Council, all participants, volunteers, media representatives, sponsors and other people whose dedication and tireless work made the event possible.