This article examines the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a key mechanism for fostering international interaction and regional integration in Central Asia. It traces the SCO’s evolution from a security‑centered agenda to a broader focus on sustainable development, infrastructure, energy, the digital economy and human‑centered cooperation. Using institutional, comparative and bibliometric approaches, the paper argues that the SCO functions as a platform of “soft institutionalization” and highlights Kazakhstan’s contribution to translating regional initiatives into measurable outcomes.