Phnom penh: As Cambodia and the region face various security challenges, a Cambodian scholar has called for stronger security cooperation to safeguard regional peace and stability. The call was made by Dr. Kin Phea, Director General of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, during the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Media and Think Tank Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday afternoon.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Dr. Kin Phea spoke under the theme 'The New Era Significance of the Shanghai Spirit: From Value Consensus to Cooperative Practice,' emphasizing the need for deeper regional security cooperation to address increasingly complex global challenges. He highlighted the SCO's achievements over the past 25 years, describing the organisation as a significant platform for promoting peace, security, and sustainable development.
Dr. Kin Phea noted that the SCO's success is guided by the Shanghai Spirit, which underscores mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of common development. He asserted that lasting security is best achieved through dialogue, partnership, and shared responsibility rather than confrontation.
He addressed current regional and global security challenges, including terrorism, violent extremism, transnational crime, cybercrime, climate change, and pandemics, stressing the need for stronger multilateral cooperation, as no country can tackle these issues alone.
Dr. Kin Phea acknowledged China's significant contribution to the SCO, highlighting its support for multilateralism, regional dialogue, capacity building, and initiatives like the Global Security Initiative. He observed the SCO's progress in enhancing regional resilience through practical cooperation in counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, border security, law enforcement, and combating transnational crime.
Reflecting on Cambodia's position, Dr. Kin Phea emphasized the importance of grounding sustainable security in the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, international law, respect for national sovereignty, and peaceful dispute resolution. He stated that these principles remain central to Cambodia's foreign policy.
Drawing on Cambodia's experience, he noted the country's transformation from a conflict-affected nation into an active contributor to international peace and security. Cambodia continues to support United Nations peacekeeping operations, humanitarian demining, disaster relief, and preventive diplomacy while promoting ASEAN centrality and encouraging closer cooperation among the SCO, ASEAN, and the United Nations.
Looking ahead, Dr. Kin Phea outlined three key priorities for strengthening regional security cooperation: enhancing collaboration to address emerging non-traditional security threats; promoting a rules-based international order based on the United Nations Charter; and expanding cooperation among think tanks, research institutions, and the media to foster strategic trust and innovative policy solutions.
Around 260 representatives from nearly 150 mainstream media outlets, prominent think tanks, government departments of SCO countries, and the SCO Secretariat attended the 2026 SCO Media and Think Tank Summit. A five-member delegation from the Kingdom of Cambodia, led by H.E. Prak Thaveak Amida, Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Information, was among the international attendees.
SCO was established on June 15, 2001, with founding members including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, followed by India, Pakistan, and Belarus joining. The SCO has two observer states - Afghanistan and Mongolia - and 14 dialogue partners, including Cambodia, Nepal, and others.