Partnership for Security and Development in Asia : Kazakhstan hosts the 6th Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of CICA
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As the chair of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Kazakhstan will organize the 6th Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CICA Member States on October 11-12, 2021 in its capital city Nur-Sultan.
The meeting will see the ministerial delegates reviewing many documents for adoption, including the updated CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures and a draft amendment to the CICA Rules of Procedure.
Since being elected as the organization’s chair in September 2020, Kazakhstan had to lead the CICA through major regional and global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic. Kazakhstan clarified that its vision and priority for the chairman state for 2020-2022 is to work on the advancement of the organization and its institutionalization to expand the cooperation between member countries and strengthen the CICA’s global status.
This period saw the rise of many challenges and threats on many aspects and levels, and in accordance with the current situation, Kazakhstan proposed a new theme for its chairmanship “Partnership for Security and Development in Asia”. Kazakhstan aims to address all the ongoing crises in light of seeking peace, progress and prosperity in the region.
Kazakhstan announced that its chairmanship will focus on the implementation of the Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures, which is a fundamental tool for promoting the goals and objectives of the CICA. The principles and measures stated in the document are categorized under five broad headings: economic, environmental and human dimensions, military-political dimension and fight against new challenges and threats.
It will promote the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which he announced during the 5th Summit of Heads of States of the CICA in June 2019 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to facilitate expert support for the organization, strengthen its think tanks by transforming them into a permanent expert platform, and create a council of experts that will generate proposals for the organization.
The idea to convene CICA was proposed by the First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev at the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. Since the 1st CICA Summit in 2002, the organization became an intergovernmental, multi-national forum for dialogue, consultations and adoption of decisions and measures on the basis of consensus on security issues in Asia.
The number of members have reached 27 Asian countries, 5 partner organizations along with 9 countries and 5 international organizations with observed statuses including Malaysia and Indonesia.
CICA aims to create favourable conditions for discussing pressing challenges in the area of security between Asian states through an open and constructive dialogue based on the principles of international law and the unacceptability of power politics, differences in economic development, racial, ethnic and religious affiliation.
The CICA is aiming to enhance cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in the region based on the principles of openness and impartiality in accordance with the standards and norms of international law.
Recently on October 5th, CICA celebrated its 29th anniversary, becoming a dialogue platform for an honest exchange of views on problematic issues of international politics for different regions in Asia and the world.
The 5th CICA Summit, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Photo credit: www.akorda.kz.
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