On 3 October, Astana hosted the Seventh Youth Council Meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). The meeting was devoted to the importance of volunteerism in society and its role in the sustainable development of Asia. The CICA Rally of Volunteer Movement Leaders is being held under the auspices of the Youth Council.
The event brought together officials of the agencies in charge of volunteering and youth policy of the CICA Member States, representatives of diplomatic missions, as well as leaders of volunteer organizations and active volunteers.
This meeting of the Youth Council launched a series of events within the framework of the first CICA Rally of Volunteer Movement Leaders, which was initiated by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Sixth CICA Summit in October 2022. This initiative was also supported by the CICA Ministerial Council, which at its meeting on 21 September 2023 in New York adopted the Statement on Promoting Volunteerism for Sustainable Development. The main objectives of the Rally include uniting efforts and sharing knowledge, experience and best practices in the field of volunteering, as well as stimulating and developing the volunteer movement in Asia, in particular through training sessions and workshops for participants.
In his welcoming remarks, CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay noted that the Youth Council, founded in 2014, has become an effective platform for discussing such important issues as youth employment and entrepreneurship, the role of youth in achieving the SDGs, preventing radicalization of youth and their involvement in extremist activities. Special attention was paid to volunteering as a new area of CICA activities initiated by the heads of state at the Sixth CICA Summit in October 2022. The Secretary General also welcomed the proposal of the Kazakh CICA Chairmanship to adopt the Recommendations of the Youth Council as a guideline for future CICA work in the field of volunteerism and to incorporate relevant provisions into the CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures.
On behalf of the Chairmanship-in-Office, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan Aizada Kurmanova pointed out the active development of the volunteer movement in Kazakhstan, citing the adoption of the Law on Volunteer Activity and the creation of the International Award “Volunteer of the Year” as examples. She also acknowledged the support of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for volunteerism at both national and international levels. The Deputy Minister proposed developing joint educational programmes, organizing international volunteer camps and considering the establishment of a CICA certificate of appreciation for volunteer community representatives.
During the discussion, the heads of national delegations highlighted the advancement of volunteering in their countries, expressed support for relevant international initiatives and shared ideas for joint projects to enhance cooperation in the volunteering sector.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of recommendations for the joint development of volunteerism in the CICA area. Specifically, the Youth Council recommended that volunteering be included in the CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures and that the CICA platform be utilized for the comprehensive promotion of volunteering and the exchange of knowledge and experience in this field.
Particular emphasis was placed on the recommendation to support activities in 2026 as part of the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development proclaimed by a UN resolution at Kazakhstan's initiative. The Secretary General suggested planning a CICA side event for 2026.
Additionally, the meeting featured an award ceremony for the winners of the essay contest among the youth of CICA Member States, centred on the theme “The Future of Asia We Want: Ideas for the CICA Region”. The winners from Bahrain, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan received certificates from the CICA Secretariat along with cash prizes.
