Digital security and information exchange within the SCO

Secure exchange of information is a key element of cooperation

The current stage of development of international relations is characterized by a rapid increase in the importance of information and communication technologies that become not only the engine of progress, but also the source of new challenges and threats. In this regard, ensuring international information security is of particular relevance, requiring coordination of efforts at the regional and global levels.

The Republic of Uzbekistan, being one of the founding states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, considers the field of information security as a strategic element of collective stability, development of the digital economy and strengthening trust between countries. Already at the Tashkent SCO summits in 2004 and 2016, special attention was paid to the need to protect the information space and strengthen the legal framework in this area.

The fundamental importance of the issue was confirmed during the anniversary summit of the SCO heads of state, held in Dushanbe in 2021, where the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh. M. Mirziyoyev put forward the initiative on the approval of the SCO expert forum on information security. This initiative served as a powerful incentive to consolidate the efforts of member states, and today's event was a direct continuation and embodiment of the proposed format. The expert forum is intended to become a platform for a broad and substantive discussion of problematic aspects of ensuring information security in the SCO space, as well as for the exchange of experience and the development of practical mechanisms for responding to modern cyber threats.

The practical implementation of the Agreement between the governments of the SCO member states on cooperation in the field of ensuring international information security, signed on June 16, 2009, is of particular importance. This document laid the foundation for the formation of a regulatory framework that defines the principles and directions of interaction in the fight against cybercrime, countering the use of information technologies for terrorist and extremist purposes, as well as promoting the safe operation of critical digital infrastructure.

A consistent step was the adoption of the SCO Member States Interaction Plan on Ensuring International Information Security for 2022–2023, approved at the summit in Dushanbe. The plan established specific areas of cooperation, including the development of legal and technical protection mechanisms, deepening interdepartmental cooperation between competent authorities, coordination of actions to prevent and suppress cyber threats, as well as training of national personnel. Uzbekistan, which has practical experience in the functioning of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure in Tashkent, actively promotes the implementation of the provisions of the Plan and promotes them into practice.

Thus, the interaction of Uzbekistan with the SCO member states in the field of information security is consistent and systemic. It is based on the adoption of strategic documents, such as the 2009 Agreement and the 2022–2023 Interaction Plan, as well as on the promotion of new initiatives aimed at creating expert platforms and specialized institutions. These efforts serve to strengthen the region's resilience, increase digital trust, and create the conditions for a peaceful, secure and open information space that fosters innovation and the digital economy.