Remarks by the Executive Director of CICA Secretariat, Ambassador Kairat Sarybay at the briefing held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan on October 28, 2020.

Remarks by the Executive Director of CICA Secretariat, Ambassador Kairat Sarybay at the briefing  held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan on October 28, 2020

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the very outset, I would like to thank the organizers of the briefing session to the Ambassadors of CICA Member States, it is my honor and pleasure to greet this esteemed audience. I also take this opportunity to express once again my sincere gratitude to the CICA Member States for their kind support and trust placed in me by approving my candidacy for the post of Executive Director of CICA Secretariat.   

Today I would like to briefly summarize the proposals made by the Heads of Delegations at the Special Meeting of CICA Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held on September 24, 2020, and, based on these recommendations, present my vision on ​​our future performance prospects.

The proposals made by the Ministers were related to all five dimensions of cooperation among CICA Member States.

• In particular, the COVID19 pandemic was unequivocally assessed as an emerging new challenge and threat. Heads of Delegations suggested to analyze CICA’s potential to generate joint efforts to overcome COVID-19 and accelerate the post-pandemic recovery.
• The Ministers called for supporting the WHO’s leading role and opposing any politicization of the issue.
• It was proposed to use the CICA platform to exchange information on vaccine and to provide assistance to least developed countries.
• Heads of Delegations expressed their commitment to support the UN centered multi-polar world order as well as effective multilateralism based on universally recognized norms and principles of International Law.
• The Ministers called for strengthening strategic confidence in order to maintain peace and stability, and oppose actions aimed at unleashing a "new cold war’, and to act in accordance with a vision of common, comprehensive, shared and sustainable security, and to contribute to the political resolution of hotspots in order to play our due role in promoting peace and stability in our region and beyond.
• It was supposed that the CICA’s mediation potential aimed at resolvingprolonged unresolved and armed conflicts and preventing new ones could be at the heart of the CICA’s peace and security pillar.
• It was proposed to transform the CICA into an organization that more relevantly responds to the urgent challenges the world is currently facing. Once again it was underlined that the solution to our common problems, including pandemic, terrorism, irregular migration, lies in our ability to work
• The Ministers expressed a strong message - to strengthen economic cooperation, taking into account the complementarities of national economies, and to open more green corridors in order to encourage the free movement of human resources, goods, services, medicines as they are essential to generate sustainable growth and boostingemployment in post pandemic rehabilitation.  It was also suggested to exercise the potential of digital commerce and big data exchanges.
• In terms of the Human dimension, we were urged to explore a deep potential of the demand-driven conferences on dialogue between religions, civilizations and cultures.
• The Heads of Delegations called for strengthening the CICA member’s ownership regarding the actual agenda.

Excellencies,

It is a right time to allow that Good Thoughts and Good Words will turn into the Good Deeds. I would like to draw your kind attention to the need to immediately start working on the Annual CICA Work Plan for year 2021, in order to have a clear perspective for the coming year.  

The Secretariat has sent requests to the CICA Member States to submit proposals to the Annual CICA Work Plan for 2021. I would greatly appreciate kind assistance of distinguished Ambassadors in receiving prompt and constructive proposals of your respective capitals.

As a matter of principle, I would like to urge the CICA Member States to refrain from blocking the initiatives that do not carry a political burden, in particular in the field of health, education, environment and youth policy.

Dear colleagues,

The CICA Catalog of Confidence Building Measures is an essential tool and universal approach to ensure stability and security across the CICA space. 

I do relay on your countries kind support and dedication as Coordinators and Co-coordinators have to develop the Concepts and Plans for the implementation of CBMs in the following areas: "Military-Political", "Agriculture", "Finance", "Sustainable Development", "Terrorism", "Illegal Trade in Small Arms", “Trafficking in Human Beings”, “Cross-Border Crime”, “Money Laundering”, “Ecology”. 

It is a high time to present a Concept Papers as per current situation to develop relevant Road Maps to agreed directions.

We have to begin the approval procedures for the inclusion of new confidence-building measures – for instance in the field of epidemiological safety, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, digitalization – proposed by the Republic of Kazakhstan, into the CBM Catalog and the appointment of Coordinators and Co-coordinators of new CBMs.

I believe that we can significantly improve our performance moving along a simple path: “Concept Paper - Road Map – Implementation” and making best use of the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) principles of Project Management.

Dear colleagues,

Let me also briefly inform you about the activities carried out in month of October since I joined to the office:

• The Russian Federation, in capacity of Coordinator of CBM in the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), held a round table "The digital economy and its role in the development of SMEs in the CICA states". At this meeting, Russian relevant authourities presented a draft Digital Platform, which envisages the creation by 2024 of a comprehensive digital ecosystem, focusing on the needs of Small and Medium enterprises, self-employed citizens, and individuals wishing to start their own business. More detailed information about this can be found on our website.
• We also attended the OSCE Asian conference “Multilateral responses to global security challenges" hosted online by the Republic of Korea in partnership with the Slovakia.
• The Secretariat also participated in two events to commemorate UN’s 75th anniversary organized by UN in Kazakhstan and ESCAP-OES based in Bangkok.

I would also like to inform you that this November People's Republic of China will host a workshop focused on the Environmental Dimension “Exchange of experience on biodiversity conservation”. I am confident that the event will significantly contribute to our activity in this dimension.

Also, In December the Republic of Uzbekistan will hold an international videoconference "The Role of Youth in Countering Extremism and Radicalism Leading to Terrorism". I take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Republic of Uzbekistan for organizing this important conference.

 

Excellencies,

COVID-19 pandemic continues to shake the world. However, this challenge should not stop us and should not allow the CICA platform to freeze.

There is an obvious space for further strengthening ownership of the Organization by all its Member States and I encourage to further enhance diversity and inclusiveness in the Secretariat's workforce. I would warmly welcome any Member States that are willing to contribute to our efficiency by seconding professional staff to the Secretariat or making voluntary financial contributions to the CICA Budget. 

I am committed to a collaborative and synergistic approach in working with the Chairmanship and all Member States. I will be fully accountable to you for the results of my endeavors. It is our shared responsibility to enable the CICA to make full use of its mission. To that end I am counting on your commitment and engagement and I look forward to working with you

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that I am planning to pay a courtesy visit to each Ambassador representing the CICA Member State. I would be grateful for your comments and suggestions, how we can set up the CICA Ambassadors’ Club in Nur-Sultan.

Dear friends,

In conclusion I would like to share with you our intention to continue the image making campaign to expand the CICA visibility, including through the organization of exhibitions on the topic “National vision of Confidence and Сo-operation”.  The first exhibition was displayed on the sidelines of the Fifth CICA Summit in Dushanbe in 2019 and was highly esteemed by the participants.

I thank you!