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Under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan and the CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia) Secretariat, high-level representatives from CICA member states gathered to assess the year's successes and discuss the organization's plans at the Astana meeting.
The SOC meeting, presided over by Alibek Bakayev, Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister, provided a venue for a detailed review of CICA's achievements in 2023. Bakayev provided an overview of CICA's current activities, emphasising the implementation of the CICA transformation roadmap, a critical framework approved by the CICA Ministerial Council in September 2023. The chairperson's address also provided insight into the outlook for 2024, laying the groundwork for debates about the organization's future direction, according to an official release of the Embassy of Kazakhstan. According to Astana Times, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Senior Officials Committee (SOC) convened for its final meeting of 2023 in Astana on December 12, as reported by CICA's press service. During the meeting, CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay provided an annual report on the work of the CICA Secretariat in 2023. The report addressed a wide range of topics, summarising the secretariat's activities and accomplishments over the previous year as well as proposing ambitious work plans for 2024. The approval of key planning papers for 2024 was a major focus of the SOC conference. The SOC approved the 2024 strategy for executing confidence-building measures as well as the CICA Secretariat's budget for 2024, all of which are critical components in setting the forum's yearly agenda. The SOC recently accepted two concept papers in CICA priority areas such as environmental protection and natural catastrophe management. These papers were developed by Mongolia and Iran, showing the collaborative and cooperative nature of CICA's programmes, the Kazakh Embassy release said. The meeting also welcomed a proposal from Saudi Arabia to join CICA as an observer state. The SOC unanimously supported Saudi Arabia's application, recommending it for approval by the CICA Ministerial Council. This potential growth highlights CICA's significance as a pan-Asian organisation dedicated to fostering discussion and collaboration. The SOC also talked of strengthening ties with other international organisations, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. Another highlight was the acknowledgement of the breakthrough in ratifying the CICA Convention on Privileges and Immunities by Bangladesh. (ANI)
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