New York, 19-25 September 2026 – The Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Ambassador Kairat Sarybay attended the General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and engaged in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on the margins of the General Assembly.
During the meeting with H.E. Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, Secretary General Sarybay commended his election to the presidency and acknowledged Bangladesh’s strong leadership within CICA as co-coordinator in the areas of information technology, environmental protection and disaster management. Exploring concrete avenues to strengthen UN-CICA ties and advance effective multilateralism, the two sides discussed preparations for the Seventh CICA Summit in Baku and CICA’s ongoing institutional transformation. Secretary General Sarybay also highlighted Bangladesh’s innovative project initiative under the CICA Fund, which bridges youth empowerment with environmental sustainability.
Dr. Khalilur Rahman underscored CICA's vast potential within multilateral diplomacy, highlighting the important role of regional organizations in mediation efforts and bringing together diverse stakeholders at regional level.
Secretary General Sarybay met with India’s Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Sibi George, to review preparations for the Baku Summit, counter-terrorism cooperation and India’s interaction within CICA under the CICA Think Tank Forum and Partnership Network of Leading Universities.
In a meeting with Alexandre Zouev, Acting Under Secretary General for Counter-Terrorism, discussions focused on the implementation of the CICA Action Plan for the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and joint work on Memorandum of Understanding between CICA Secretariat and UNOCT. Secretary General Sarybay and Under Secretary General Zouev reviewed progress on the draft MoU, noting the constructive role of the Azerbaijani Chairmanship in this work.
The counterparts also exchanged views on new avenues of practical collaboration, including advanced technological initiatives and early warning mechanisms.
Turning to sustainable development, talks with Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, centered on synergies between CICA’s confidence building measures and the UN 2030 Agenda.
Mr. Li Junhua emphasized that the voices of multilateral institutions, including CICA, are significant in addressing emerging challenges and eroding trust among nations. He also assured UN DESA's readiness to provide expert support for CICA's ongoing initiatives, while commending its work in volunteerism, women empowerment and cooperation in finance.
A productive exchange with UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu highlighted CICA’s recent milestones in women’s empowerment and financial connectivity. Secretary General Sarybay expressed gratitude to UNDP for its valuable contribution to the CICA side event on volunteerism on the margins of the High-Level Political Forum at UN Headquarters in July 2026, which showcased best practices and the crucial role of volunteers in driving community resilience and solidarity.
The visit reaffirmed CICA’s commitment to fostering mutual trust across Asia and working in close synergy with the United Nations to tackle shared challenges.
