Astana, 22 July 2026 – The Republic of Azerbaijan chaired the regular meeting of the Senior Officials Committee (SOC) of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
In his opening remarks, Mr. Azer Musayev, Director of the Department of Regional Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, emphasized the importance of the meeting ahead of the Seventh CICA Summit, scheduled for 15 October 2026.
The meeting focused on reviewing draft documents to be proposed for adoption by the Heads of State at the Baku Summit. Delegates held extensive discussions on the draft CICA Charter. The Azerbaijani Chairmanship emphasized that its adoption remains one of the priorities aimed at further institutional strengthening of CICA and the implementation of the Astana Statement on CICA Transformation and the corresponding Road Map.
Delegates paid particular attention to the draft Baku Declaration of the Seventh CICA Summit. The Chairman noted that the draft Declaration reflects the theme of the Chairmanship – “Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalization and Sustainable Growth in Asia”. He further noted that the Declaration underscores the progress made in the institutionalization of CICA, in particular, the establishment of the Women Council, the Finance Summit and the launch of the practical activities of the Partnership Network of Leading Universities.
It was highlighted that the document covers a broad range of priorities of the CICA Member States – from confidence building measures, regional connectivity and SME support to environmental issues, energy cooperation, digitalization, and the development of artificial intelligence and innovation. In addition, it underscores the importance of enhancing CICA's partnership with the UN and other international institutions.
Delegates also reviewed the draft CICA Statement on Cooperation in the Field of Work Safety and Health, jointly initiated by the Azerbaijani Chairmanship and China.
On the topic of external relations, participants discussed progress on the draft Memorandum of Understanding between the CICA Secretariat and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and expressed hope for its successful finalization.
As part of efforts to strengthen the Secretariat's capacity, the Committee reviewed the draft updated Staff Matrix and other personnel-related matters.
During the meeting, the Committee heard brief reports on the organization's current agenda. Secretary General Kairat Sarybay informed delegates of the Afghan side's interest in resuming its participation in CICA activities. In this regard, reference was made to the first CICA Fund project on the provision of humanitarian assistance to farmers from the provinces of Central Afghanistan. The project was jointly funded by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), the Republic of Türkiye, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and CICA.
In his remarks, the CICA Secretary General also called on the Member States to expedite the ratification of the Convention on Privileges and Immunities.
Ambassador Kairat Sarybay further informed delegates of the events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Secretariat, among which he particularly highlighted the Round Table of Executive Structures of Regional Organizations in Asia. Noting the substantive nature of the discussions and the shared determination to translate political commitments into practical cooperation, the Secretary General outlined a number of recommendations developed at the meeting. These included enhancing the partnership between the UN and regional organizations, consolidating interaction in Asia with a view to avoiding duplication of efforts and promoting the diplomacy of trust. In addition, the participants recommended holding the Round Table on a regular basis and establishing a regional observatory for monitoring connectivity.
The Committee received an update on the CICA Fund's current project activities. The launch of a special section on the CICA website was also announced, which will feature research and analytical materials from participants of the CICA Think Tank Forum.
As part of the review of new information products, particular attention was drawn to the publication Review of Best Volunteerism Practices in CICA Member States, recently unveiled in New York, as well as to the updated version of the e-publication SME Landscape in Asia, the revised content of which will be presented at the Business Forum in September 2026.
The exchange of views enabled the Member States to continue drafting documents for consideration at the Seventh CICA Summit and confirmed their commitment to further strengthening dialogue, cooperation and confidence building measures in Asia.
