In news– External Affairs Minister of India addressed the 6th Ministerial meeting of Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures 2021 in Kazakhstan recently.
About Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures(CICA)
- Established in 1999, CICA is a forum aimed at enhancing cooperation through elaborating multilateral approaches towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
- The idea of convening CICA was first proposed by the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, on 5 October 1992, at the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
- It is a forum based on the recognition that there is a close link between peace, security and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world
- Presently CICA has 27 Member States accounting for nearly ninety percent of the territory and population of Asia. Nine countries and five multinational organizations, including the United Nations, have observer status.
- India has been a member of CICA since its inception in 1999.
- CICA pursues its policy based on the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs of the Member States and economic, social and cultural cooperation to achieve its main objective of enhancing cooperation through elaborating multilateral approaches towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
- All decisions within CICA framework are taken by consensus.
- To be a member of CICA, a state must have at least a part of its territory in Asia.
- The highest decision making organ of CICA is the Meeting of the CICA Heads of State and Government (Summit).
- The CICA Summit is convened every four years in order to conduct consultations, review the progress of, and set priorities for CICA activities.
- The Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs is required to be held every two years.
- The Ministerial Meeting is the central forum for consultations and examination of all issues related to CICA activities.
- Kazakhstan is the current Chair and Initiator of the CICA Forum.
Two founding documents of CICA
- The two founding documents of CICA are Declaration on the Principles Guiding Relations between the CICA Member States adopted at the First Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Almaty on 14 September 1999 and the Almaty Act, charter of CICA, adopted at the First Summit held in Almaty on 4 June 2002.
- These two documents became the stepping stone towards the future evolution of CICA.
Member countries
Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, UAE, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Vietnam, Republic of Korea, Russia, Sri Lianka, Tajikistan, Thailand and Turkey.
Observer states
Belarus, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and USA
Observer Organizations
International Organization for Migration, United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Turkic-Speaking Countries, League of Arab States.
Partner Organizations
Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, Economic Cooperation Organization, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
