CICA and its Secretariat engaged in productive activities during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Week in New York, emphasizing their commitment to fostering multilateral cooperation and advancing sustainable development.
The main event was the informal meeting of the CICA Ministerial Council chaired by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mr. Murat Nurtleu on 21 September 2023. This meeting marked a significant milestone in CICA's evolution as it discussed and endorsed the Road Map for CICA Transformation outlining eight specific areas of reform aimed at strengthening the pan-Asian organization of 28 Member States and aligning CICA with the new global role of Asia. This transformation process was initiated at the Sixth CICA Summit in Astana in October 2022, the year of 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's proposal to convene this organization at the UN in 1992.
The Ministerial Council also adopted a pivotal statement on promoting volunteerism for sustainable development, which emphasizes the CICA Member States’ commitment to supporting volunteerism, particularly among youth, as a means to encourage active social engagement. Additionally, Ms. Zhang Ling of China was appointed as the new CICA Deputy Secretary General.
Furthermore, the Kazakh Chairmanship and the CICA Secretariat organized a UN-CICA side event in New York, titled “The United Nations, CICA and Regional Organizations: Global Partnership in Support of the SDGs”. The event aimed to enhance partnerships, promote cooperation and coordination on sustainable development and climate change, and facilitate exchanges among international organizations and their members.
The event brought together senior officials from UN Member States, the UN, CICA and the African Union. Distinguished speakers included Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations; Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, CICA Secretary General; Mr. Haoliang Xu, UN Under-Secretary-General (USG) and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme; Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); and Ms. Rola A. A. H. Dashti, UN USG and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
They discussed the efforts of CICA and the United Nations in achieving the SDGs and facilitating the exchange of experiences. Their discussions aimed to enhance the resilience of societies and economies in the region, addressing pressing challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, epidemiological safety, green transition and financing, youth empowerment and employment, transboundary water management, and refugee issues.
To explore avenues of cooperation with the UN at both the regional and global levels and enhance CICA's global profile in the media, CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay held meetings with several high-level UN officials in the course of the High-level Week.
Ambassador Kairat Sarybay had a productive meeting with Ms. Catherine Pollard, UN USG for Management Strategy, to discuss how CICA, in the midst of its transformation process, can draw inspiration from the high standards and policies of the United Nations in managing financial and human resources. Both parties expressed their eagerness to continue collaboration.
The CICA Secretary General had an engaging meeting with Ms. Rola Dashti, UN USG and Executive Secretary of UN ESCWA, to explore synergies between CICA and ESCWA. The discussion focused on areas such as green transformation, green finance, transboundary water resources and food security, with plans for further dialogue, including CICA’s participation in the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development in 2024.
The meeting between Ambassador Kairat Sarybay and Ms. Melissa Fleming, UN USG for Global Communications, centred on exploring avenues of collaboration to enhance CICA's global profile and international visibility. Both sides agreed on specific steps to move forward.
The CICA Secretary General met and exchanged ideas with Ambassador Larbi Djacta, Chairman of the UN International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), who shared valuable insights on best UN practices and standards in human resources management, which could be considered in CICA's transformation process. The Chairman expressed high opinion about current state of CICA, noting that it was already a mature international organization,and offered to share with the principles of the UN Common System and to provide briefings for CICA on the methodologies and data of the ICSC.
Ambassador Kairat Sarybay also met with Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, UN USG and Head of the UN Office for Counter-Terrorism, to discuss the prospects of deepening practical collaboration between CICA and the UNOCT, including the implementation of the CICA Plan of Action on the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Discussions of the CICA Secretary General with UNDP Associate Director Mr. Haoliang Xu focused on identifying joint projects in Asia related to youth, environment and development. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continued engagement for achieving the SDGs and advancing multilateralism.
New York, 19-22 September 2023
