Zhang Jun, chief justice and president of the Supreme People's Court of China, attends the closing ceremony of the 19th Meeting of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States, and delivers a speech on May 23, 2024. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

The 19th Meeting of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States concluded in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on May 23. Zhang Jun, chief justice and president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China, attended the closing ceremony and delivered a speech.

Zhang said that the SPC of China is willing to further deepen judicial exchanges and cooperation with the supreme courts of member states within the SCO framework, continuously making contributions to promoting regional peace, stability, security, and sustainable development, as well as the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. 

The chief justices of the supreme courts of SCO member states signed a joint statement on the outcomes of the meeting.

The 19th Meeting of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States concludes with a joint statement on May 23, 2024. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

The statement highlighted the importance of close and systematic cooperation among the judicial bodies of SCO member states in maintaining and strengthening consensus, ensuring security, and fostering good neighborly relations. 

It specified consensus of SCO member states on judicial cooperation in key areas, including combating transnational human trafficking, promoting the extensive use of mediation mechanisms in civil litigation procedures, safeguarding property rights in accordance with the law, developing and improving administrative litigation systems, and achieving judicial digitization. 

It was unanimously agreed by all member states of the SCO that the 20th session of the meeting will be hosted by the SPC of China next year. 

The closing ceremony was chaired by Islamov Bakhtiyar Jahangirovich, chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Chief justices and heads of top judicial organs of SCO member states, including India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia and Tajikistan, also gave speeches at the closing ceremony.