The emergence of a new, more just multilateral world order has become an “irreversible” process, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on Tuesday.

Speaking to leaders from 17 countries at an expanded SCO session in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Putin called for greater representation for the Global South and East at the UN and its Security Council. The change, Russia’s president stated, would reflect “fundamental shifts in global politics.”

“We are talking about the formation of a new, truly equitable, multipolar world order. This process is objective and, frankly speaking, irreversible,” Putin said.

More countries are seeking to determine their own future, “defend their legitimate interests” and play an active role in international affairs, according to the Russian president. Against this backdrop, the UN’s unifying role is becoming increasingly important, he added.

“The UN must maintain its primary role of aligning interests and must not promote the interests of any one country or group of nations,” Putin said.

Regional organizations such as the SCO are also becoming important pillars of the emerging multipolar system alongside the UN, he added.

The SCO was founded by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in 2001. It has since expanded to include India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus, becoming the world’s largest regional organization by geographic area.