Almaty, Kazakhstan, 16 September 2026
Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to join you at the Tenth North and Central Asia Multi-Stakeholder Forum on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP, and the Government of Kazakhstan for convening this important platform.
The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was established on the understanding that dialogue, mutual trust and cooperation are essential foundations for a stable and prosperous Asia.
Today, with 28 Member States, CICA provides a broad regional platform for dialogue and practical cooperation across the continent.
Our experience demonstrates that confidence building is not limited to the political and security sphere. Trust must also be developed through economic cooperation, environmental action, social development, people-to-people contacts and knowledge exchange.
In this regard, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is closely connected with CICA’s broader confidence building agenda.
Excellencies,
Our partnership with the United Nations is an important part of this work.
CICA attaches great importance to cooperation with the UN system and its specialized agencies, including ESCAP, EEC, and ESCWA. This partnership enables us to connect regional experience and mechanisms with the global commitments of the 2030 Agenda.
Over the years, CICA and UN entities have cooperated in a number of areas, including sustainable development, capacity-building, knowledge exchange, environmental protection, social development, economic cooperation and addressing emerging challenges.
We greatly value UN ESCAP’s continued engagement with CICA and its contribution to strengthening cooperation in North and Central Asia and across the wider Asian region.
We see this cooperation not simply as an exchange of views, but as an opportunity to translate common priorities into practical outcomes.
This principle is particularly important for SDG 17- Partnerships for the Goals.
For CICA, partnerships are at the heart of our philosophy.
Our five dimensions - military-political, new challenges and threats, economic, environmental and human provide a comprehensive framework through which our Member States can address interconnected challenges.
These dimensions should not be viewed in isolation.
Economic development requires stability.
Sustainable economic growth requires environmental responsibility. Social inclusion requires investment in people.
And all of these require trust and cooperation.
This interconnected approach reflects the spirit of the 2030 Agenda.
Distinguished Participants,
For CICA, SDG 17 means creating platforms where governments can exchange experience, businesses can identify opportunities, financial institutions can mobilize resources, experts can develop knowledge, and young people and women can become active participants in regional cooperation.
Our Business Council and Business Forums provide one such platform by bringing together SMEs and public authorities to promote economic cooperation, investment, entrepreneurship and stronger connections among our Member States.
At the same time, CICA is strengthening the participation of women and young people in regional cooperation through the development of the Women’s Council and Youth Council.
Their involvement is essential.
Women and young people are not simply beneficiaries of sustainable development. They are entrepreneurs, innovators, professionals, researchers and community leaders who can contribute directly to achieving the SDGs.
We are also strengthening links among policymakers, researchers and experts through the Think Tank Forum, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and policy-oriented cooperation.
Another important area is sustainable finance.
Without adequate financial resources, many of our development ambitions will remain difficult to implement. We are therefore proud to establish the Finance Summit that brings together governments, financial institutions, business and international partners to explore innovative approaches to mobilizing resources for sustainable development.
The same principle applies to digital transformation.
Digital technologies are changing the way economies operate, how people access services and how businesses connect across borders. At the same time, digitalization creates new challenges related to inclusion, skills and access.
Regional cooperation can help ensure that the benefits of digital transformation are more widely shared.
For developing and landlocked countries, stronger regional connectivity, efficient logistics, digital solutions and improved access to markets can make an important contribution to sustainable and inclusive growth.
These are areas where partnerships can produce very tangible results.
Excellencies,
Another lesson we have learned is that successful partnerships require continuity.
A conference or meeting can create momentum, but sustainable development requires sustained cooperation, follow-up and implementation.
Therefore, as we move towards 2030, our common efforts should increasingly focus on practical implementation: supporting capacity-building, sharing best practices, developing joint initiatives, mobilizing resources and strengthening institutional cooperation. The principle of leaving no one behind must remain at the center of our efforts.
Regional cooperation should respond to the needs of vulnerable groups, support equal opportunities and ensure that the benefits of economic, technological and social progress reach communities across our region.
This is particularly important at a time when many countries are facing multiple and overlapping challenges.
The SDGs remind us that development cannot be sustainable if it is not inclusive; prosperity cannot be durable without stability; and progress cannot be achieved without cooperation.
This is why SDG 17 is so fundamental.
Partnerships are the bridge between ambition and implementation.
They connect global commitments with regional priorities.
They connect governments with businesses, international organizations with national institutions, and knowledge with action.
And they enable us to transform common challenges into opportunities for cooperation.
Distinguished Participants,
The North and Central Asian region has considerable potential to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
These countries possess significant human capital, natural resources, entrepreneurial capacity, knowledge and connectivity potential.
What we need is stronger cooperation to bring these capacities together.
CICA stands ready to contribute to this process.
We will continue to strengthen our cooperation with the United Nations, ESCAP, our Member States and all stakeholders represented at this Forum.
As we approach 2030, let us therefore make our partnerships more ambitious, more inclusive and, above all, more action oriented.
I wish the Tenth North and Central Asia Multi-Stakeholder Forum every success.
I look forward to our continued cooperation in advancing the 2030 Agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Thank you.
