Bangkok, 21–23 April 2025 - The Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, undertook a visit to Bangkok to participate in the 81st Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), convened under the theme of strengthening regional cooperation for resilient and sustainable urban development across Asia and the Pacific.
During the High-Level Dialogue with subregional organizations, the Secretary General underscored the importance of strengthening CICA-ESCAP cooperation as part of broader efforts to advance inclusive, sustainable development and fostering transformative regional dialogue across Asia.
Presenting the priorities of the Azerbaijani Chairmanship of CICA (2024-2026), Ambassador Sarybay highlighted its strategic focus on steering CICA’s transformation into a full-fledged international organization, reinforcing the implementation of confidence building measures, and enhancing cooperation with regional and multilateral frameworks. He also outlined CICA’s expanding cross-sectoral agenda, which encompasses youth and academic exchange, transport connectivity, climate action, agriculture, digitalization, and cybersecurity - all closely aligned with the UN SDGs.
In the context of supporting sustainable urbanization, the Secretary General highlighted CICA’s contributions to fostering resilient and inclusive urban development. These include the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, ensuring food and energy security, advancing digital transformation, improving disaster risk management, and enhancing environmental protection. He also drew attention to several notable initiatives that illustrate CICA’s practical and action-oriented approach to cooperation: the inaugural CICA Ministerial Conference on Environmental Issues, the CICA Alley urban greenery project, joint programming with ESCAP on digital innovation, and a development assistance initiative for Afghan farmers funded through the CICA Fund.
On the margins of the ESCAP Conference Secretary General held a series of important meetings with the leadership of key regional international organizations, as well as senior officials of Thailand’s agencies involved in CICA process.
A key highlight was the meeting between Ambassador Sarybay and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Alisjahbana, where the two sides agreed to explore further steps to strengthen partnership between the two organizations and launch added-value joint initiatives to support the SDGs in line with priorities of the current Azerbaijan Chairmanship of CICA.
Further consultations were held with Ms. Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, and Mr. Christian Hainzl, UN Volunteers Regional Manager, focusing on joint contributions to the 2026 International Year of Volunteerism for Sustainable Development.
Ambassador Sarybay also met with Vice Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Mr. Russ Jalichandra to discuss key priorities and objectives of CICA under the Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship 2024-2026. The Thai side confirmed its resolve to support further transformation of CICA into a full-fledged international organization, including the elaboration of its Charter, which would significantly contribute to a stronger multilateral architecture in Asia. Discussions also highlighted Thailand’s active role in sustainable development, tourism, and the promotion of SMEs, as well as potential complementarities between CICA and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, currently chaired by Thailand.
In a meeting with Mr. Anukul Peedkaew, Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, opportunities for collaboration on youth engagement, volunteerism, and women empowerment were explored. Ambassador Sarybay emphasized the value of utilizing CICA’s platforms, such as the Youth Council, to share Thailand’s experience and bolster CICA’s human dimension.
Аt Chulalongkorn University, the Secretary General held talks with Professor Pavika Sriratanaban, Director of the Institute of Asian Studies (IAS) -an active member of the CICA Think Tank Forum. Their discussion centered on academic diplomacy and the role of IAS within the CICA Think Tank Forum in supporting CICA’s transformation through track-two diplomacy.
The Secretary General conferred with Mr. Bakhyt Sultanov, Board Member of the Eurasian Economic Commission, on strengthening CICA-EAEU cooperation in support of inclusive regional growth and prosperity among CICA Member States.
Additionally, he also met with Mr. Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General of BIMSTEC, to exchange views on regional connectivity, food and energy security, and shared responses to emerging challenges.
