Doha, 3–5 November 2025 — The Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, continued his Gulf tour with a working visit to the State of Qatar.
Ambassador Sarybay attended the Second World Summit for Social Development, held under the auspices of the United Nations in Doha. During the event, the Secretary General shared his reflections on the deliberations of the high-level roundtable addressing the three pillars of social development — poverty eradication, full and productive employment and decent work for all, and social inclusion.
The Secretary General highlighted CICA’s alignment with the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action of 1995 and the newly adopted Doha Declaration, placing people at the heart of the development agenda. He emphasized that the priorities of the Azerbaijani Chairmanship, centered on connectivity, digitalization and sustainable growth, are directly pertinent to the theme of the gathering. Ambassador Sarybay noted that CICA has evolved into a mature organization with a broad mandate and diverse institutions, empowering youth, women, and SMEs, while advancing financial and transport connectivity across Asia and beyond. He further observed that, as a pan-Asian organization, CICA is uniquely positioned to act as a bridge-builder between the global level and regional stakeholders, fostering peace, security and social development through cooperative and inclusive engagement.
On the margins of the Summit, the Secretary General engaged in a dialogue with a number of stakeholders.
During his meeting with H.E. Mr. Haoliang Xu, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNDP Acting Administrator, Ambassador Sarybay briefed him on the outcomes of the recent CICA Ministerial Council meeting in New York, as well as other achievements under the Azerbaijani Chairmanship and ongoing progress in the CICA transformation process. Both sides explored opportunities for future cooperation in areas aligned with the Chairmanship’s priorities — particularly in volunteerism, connectivity and the environmental agenda. Mr. Xu, provided an update on UNDP’s strategic objectives, global footprint, and ongoing institutional reforms in budgetary and human resources management.
While in Doha, the CICA Secretariat also held working-level consultations with counterparts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, following up on the meeting held in September between CICA Secretary General and H.E. Mrs. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar. The Qatari side was briefed on the latest developments in implementing the Chairmanship’s priorities, with discussions focusing on preparations for the upcoming Seventh CICA Summit, to be hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2026.
The visit reaffirmed CICA’s determination to deepen engagement with the Gulf region and the United Nations system in advancing shared goals of sustainable development and inclusive growth across Asia. In this context, the Secretariat continues to promote inclusive cooperation and practical initiatives that translate the Chairmanship’s priorities into tangible outcomes, contributing to the vision of a more connected and resilient Asian continent.
