ASTANA – The transformation of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) should be a structured, result-oriented, gradual, but not protracted process, said representatives of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship at a March 14 meeting of the CICA Senior Officials Committee (SOC), reported the CICA’s press service.
Photo credit: s-cica.org.
Alongside outlining plans for implementing the CICA Transformation Roadmap, Kazakh delegates provided updates on the progress achieved during the country’s chairmanship in 2023-2024.
The SOC engaged in its first in-depth discussion of four of the roadmap’s eight clusters, focusing on elements shaping the future CICA charter. Member states laid the groundwork for charter development, envisaging it as the quintessence and culmination of the transformation process.
The meeting discussed new areas of cooperation within the CICA and updates to its Rules of Procedure.
Photo credit: s-cica.org.
The SOC recommended that the CICA Council of Ministers confirm Azerbaijan’s chairmanship for 2024-2026 through a silence procedure.
They approved the draft memorandum on creating a partnership network among leading universities of CICA member states, which aims to foster academic collaboration, exchange, and joint research projects among Asian educational institutions.
Recognizing the importance of volunteerism, the SOC welcomed the initiative to share information on national policies, strategies, research, and best practices through the CICA website on the basis of consensus.
They reviewed the draft suitable work plan for the CICA Think Tank Forum 2024, underscoring the organization’s commitment to fostering intellectual collaboration among member states’ think tanks and research institutions.
The SOC endorsed partnerships between CICA and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific to fortify successful synergies with other international organizations.
CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay presented the financial report of the CICA Secretariat for 2023, receiving appreciation from member states for the effective management of financial resources throughout the year.
