New York : January 24, 2025 – Significant achievements of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) during Kazakhstan’s 2020-2024 chairmanship were circulated by UN Headquarters as an official document of UN General Assembly and Security Counci.
Under the leadership of Kazakhstan, CICA has made major strides in advancing multilateral cooperation across Asia. Notable accomplishments include the successful update of the Catalogue of Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs), the adoption of new thematic areas such as combating terrorism and promoting digital security, and fostering sustainable economic and environmental cooperation among member states.
CICA’s unique platform has served as an important tool for fostering peace, security, and prosperity in Asia. Kazakhstan’s initiatives also led to the establishment of new permanent advisory bodies, including the CICA Council of Eminent Persons and the Think Tank Forum. Furthermore, Kazakhstan has strengthened CICA’s role in addressing global challenges, from pandemics to climate change, ensuring that Asia’s growing influence continues to shape a peaceful and sustainable future.
Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the transformation of CICA into a fully-fledged regional organization, reinforcing its role as a central pillar in Asia’s multilateral diplomacy.
Implementation of CICA confidence building measures (CBMs)
Building confidence among Member States is central to CICA’s objectives. The 2004 CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures (Catalogue) is the core operational document that outlines all CBMs and specifies implementation procedures. Over the reporting period, this practical component of cooperation within CICA has significantly intensified, with Member States increasingly comm itted to implementing impactful and tangible CBMs.
In January 2021, echoing the global efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Kazakhstan’s proposal to add epidemiological safety, public health and pharmaceuticals to the Catalogue as a new priority area was approved by the Member States.
This served as a starting point in bringing the Catalogue up to date with current realities and needs of Member States.
Under the leadership of the Kazakh Chairmanship, the CICA Member States have carried out and finalized the process of updating the Catalogue, both in terms of its substance at the Sixth Ministerial Meeting in Astana on 12 October 2021 and modalities of CBM implementation in the course of 2024.
The Catalogue categorizes CBMs into five main areas: the military-political, new challenges and threats, economic, environmental and human dimensions.
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Activities of the CICA advisory bodies
The CICA Business Council serves as an advisory body uniting representatives of business organizations and public authorities of the Member States. The Council’s mission is to promote the growth and diversification of economic cooperation, particularly in the SME sector. It facilitates direct connections and open dialogue between private sector representatives and government bodies, fostering collaboration to promote mutually beneficial regional economic development. CICA Business Forums are held in conjunction with Business Council meetings.
Under the Kazakh Chairmanship, the CICA Business Council has carried out the following activities:
– 4th Plenary Session and 6th Business Forum in June 2021 in Astana (online), where 116 participants from 19 Member States discussed business prospects amid the pandemic;
– 5th Plenary Session and 7th Business Forum in June 2022 in Astana (hybrid), focusing on the digitalization of business processes in SMEs and food security;
These events gathered 150 participants from 15 Member States;
– 6th Plenary Session and 8th Business Forum in November 2023 in Astana (hybrid), where 140 representatives from government and business sectors from 20 Member States exchanged best practices in addressing food security, renewable energy and green financing;
– 7th Plenary Session and 9th Business Forum in November 2024 in Astana (hybrid), with more than 140 participants from the 28 Member States, focusing on artificial intelligence in SMEs, enhancing cross-border trade through E-commerce, new challenges in logistics and infrastructure, empowering women in SMEs, and sustainable development of SMEs.
Pakistan reaffirms support for CICA’s core objective of strengthening regional cooperation
New thematic areas of cooperation of CICA Member States
While building on CBMs as the core activity of CICA and making best use of its permanent advisory bodies, the CICA Member States develop new substantive areas of their practical cooperation.
The Sixth CICA Summit in Astana on 13 October 2022, held in the year of CICA’s 30th anniversary, has adopted key decisions setting
strong ground for intensified cooperation in the areas of combating terrorism and addressing modern security challenges stemming from the global technological progress.
The 2022 CICA Summit adopted the CICA Plan of Action on Implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which was not only a landmark achievement for CICA following the decade of Member States’ efforts to develop a common course of actions, but also a significant contribution to the global UN-led efforts in the fight against terrorism. The document had been elaborated in close cooperation with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).
The Sixth CICA Summit also adopted the CICA Leaders’ Statement on Cooperation in the field of Security of and in the use of Information and Communication Technologies, which was proposed by China and Russia. This is a new area of cooperation within CICA, originally established as a new CBM in the updated Catalogue of 2021, and demonstrates the relevance of CICA and strong political will of Member States to keep CICA tuned to their needs.
At the Sixth CICA Summit, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the Kazakh Chairmanship’s priority of preservation and development of human resources with particular focus on youth interaction and supporting volunteerism. This initiative was strongly supported by CICA Member States.
Subsequently, at the initiative of Russia, the CICA MC meeting in New York on 21 September 2023 adopted the CICA MC Statement on Promoting Volunteerism for Sustainable Development. In this document the CICA Member States committed to supporting volunteerism, particularly among youth, as an effective means to foster civic engagement. Member States actively promoted this agenda, holding various events throughout 2024.
Upon the initiative of Kazakhstan, the first CICA Rally of Volunteer Movement Leaders was held in Astana on 3–4 October 2024 under the auspices of the 7th CICA Youth Council meeting. The Rally looked into the role of volunteerism in promoting sustainable development in Asia. In 2024, during the annual SOC review of CBM implementation with focus on the human dimension, Member States highlighted volunteerism and youth engagement as key CICA priorities.
On 28 August 2024 CICA held its first-ever high-level specialized meeting – the CICA Ministerial Conference on Environmental Issues. This event, initiated by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Sixth CICA Summit, marked a pivotal moment for pan-Asian environmental collaboration. The conference brought together officials from CICA Member States to address critical environmental challenges and concluded with the adoption of a high-level statement.
First CICA Ministerial Conference on Environmental Issues Held in Astana
Building new CICA institutions and tools
Kazakhstan’s initiatives have significantly strengthened CICA’s institutional framework, ensuring that it remains a result-oriented organization dedicated to fostering peace and cooperation across Asia through tangible impact. Two new permanent CICA advisory bodies, also referred to as “institutions”, and a new operational mechanism were established under the Kazakh Chairmanship:
The CICA Council of Eminent Persons (CEP): Established by the Sixth CICA Ministerial Meeting in Astana on 12 October 2021, the CEP is designed to bring together prominent political figures, scholars and other internationally recognized individuals from CICA Member States. The Council’s mandate is to develop and provide high-level advice on a wide range of issues of interaction and development within CICA, including strengthening of peace and security, implementation of CBMs, and further directions and priorities of CICA activities.
The CICA Think Tank Forum (TTF): Originally initiated by China in 2014, the TTF was transformed into a permanent advisory body in October 2021. It provides a platform for intellectual exchange among research and scientific institutions to support CICA’s broader objectives and to contribute to dialogue and cooperation among the governments of CICA Member States.
The CICA Fund: Established by the 2022 Sixth CICA Summit in Astana, the CICA Fund is a special mechanism designed to identify and facilitate implementation of project activities within the CICA mandate for the benefit of Member States and to mobilize voluntary funding for CICA projects.
The mechanism includes the Project Review Committee – permanent body consisting of representatives of Member States for review and approval of project proposals and pledges from external donors.
The CICA Partnership Network of Leading Universities (PNLU): Designed to foster academic collaboration among CICA Member States, the memorandum on establishing the PNLU was pre-approved by the SOC and is set for adoption by the Seventh MC Meeting in Baku. The PNLU will promote scientific exchange, support research projects and enhance academic mobility.
Institutionalization of the Finance Summit: The Finance Summit, initiated by China in 2018 as series of regular high-level conferences, is currently being transformed into a permanent CICA advisory body to facilitate economic and financial cooperation among CICA Member States. Draft regulations of the CICA Finance Summit have been agreed upon at the expert level and are expected to be finalized and submitted for adoption by the Seventh MC Meeting in Baku.
Establishing a CICA council on sustainable connectivity: Proposed by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, this new advisory body would aim at addressing global economic challenges, including supply chain disruptions, and optimizing Member States’ transit capabilities and developing transport corridors
across Asia.
Astana Conference Leaders Agree on Transformation of CICA into Regional International Organization
Transformation of CICA into a full-fledged regional international organization
Transformation is the central theme and strategic goal of the Kazakh Chairmanship, supported by the CICA Member States. The adoption of the Astana Statement on CICA Transformation by the Sixth CICA Summit in Astana on 13 October 2022 is the most significant and prominent achievement of the Kazakh Chairmanship, which marked a historic milestone in the evolution of CICA.
This was a result of the most comprehensive and inclusive consultations on the approaches to and the concept of transformation among the Member States since the start of the
Kazakh Chairmanship term in 2020.
By this document, the CICA Summit has launched “the structured, inclusive and transparent negotiations process of gradual, incremental and consensus -based transformation of CICA into a full-fledged regional international organization.”
As stated by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Astana Summit,
“We are not creating a new organization, we are moving to a new stage of institutional
development.”
The CICA Summit has outlined the two major goals of the transformation process:
“defining the overarching areas of our future cooperation and strengthening the organizational and institutional base of our interaction.” As the first step in the process, the Astana Summit has established the CICA Council of Heads of State or Government, the CICA Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the position of CICA Secretary General to replace the Executive Director of the CICA Secretariat.
Other key achievements in institutional strengthening of CICA
Kazakhstan continued advancing entry into force of the CICA Convention on Privileges and Immunities of 2010, which establishes CICA’s legal capacity and grants immunities and privileges to the Secretariat, its personnel and representatives of Member States. In 2023–2024, ratifications from Bangladesh, China, Jordan and Pakistan marked significant progress.
To date, eleven Member States have ratified the Convention, including Azerbaijan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia and Türkiye who did that before 2023. Three more ratifications are required for the Convention’s entry into force.
In the course of the Kazakh Chairmanship, President Tokayev has announced the construction of a new CICA headquarters in Astana. This initiative, reflecting Kazakhstan’s role as both the founding state and host country of CICA, will provide enhanced facility for the CICA Secretariat, create advanced operational environment and ensure preservation of CICA’s institutional legacy. To be inaugurated in 2025, the new headquarters will symbolize CICA’s evolution into a full-fledged international organization and highlight Asia’s increasing stature and significance on the global stage.
Expanding CICA family, external relations and visibility
Expanding CICA’s geographical reach has been a key priority of the Kazakh Chairmanship throughout its two consecutive biennial terms. One Member State – Kuwait, in 2022, and two observer states – Turkmenistan in 2021 and Saudi Arabia in 2023, joined the CICA family. The CICA Member States are considering another bid for the observer status from Morocco.
Strengthening CICA’s collaboration with the United Nations has been a key priority for the Kazakh Chairmanship, resulting in numerous high -level engagements with UN officials.
At the request of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the CICA Secretariat contributed to the draft Agenda for Peace in January 2023. In September 2023, the Kazakh Chairmanship and the CICA Secretariat organized a UN-CICA side event in New York titled “The United Nations, CICA and Regional Organizations:
Global Partnership in Support of the “SDGs” on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 78th UNGA Session. The event brought together senior officials from UN Member States, the UN, CICA and the African Union, including three Under-Secretaries-General – heads of UNDP, UN ESCAP and UN ESCWA, who exchanged experiences in addressing climate change, natural disasters, epidemiological safety, green transition and financing, youth empowerment and employment, transboundary water management and refugee issues.
In April 2024, on the sidelines of the 80th Session of UN ESCAP, the Secretariats of CICA and UN ESCAP jointly organized an event titled “Leveraging Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific – the Role of Regional Partnerships.”
The event was addressed by the CICA Secretary General, UN ESCAP Executive Secretary, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and other distinguished guests. Topics of discussion included the role of digital technologies in advancing sustainable development goals, environmental dimension, digital economy promotion, emergency monitoring, natural disaster management and fostering regional cooperation.
Dialogue with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) continued based
on the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations’ secretariats. Joint project, the Seminar on Combating Cybercrime for the SCO and CICA countries (28 November–2 December 2022), was implemented.
Based on the SOC decision of 2021, the CICA Secretariat concluded the Memorandum of Understanding with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) during the Sixth CICA Summit in 2022.
Thus, the EAEU has become CICA’s sixth partner organization. Currently joint Action Plan is being developed for the implementation of this memorandum.
In implementation of the SOC decision of 2021, work is underway to establish partnership relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In 2024, the SOC approved the establishment of partnership relations with two more UN structures – UNOCT and UN ESCAP.
