Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)

The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is an inter-governmental forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia. It is a forum based on the recognition that there is close link between peace, security and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world.

The idea of convening the CICA was first proposed by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on 5 October 1992, at the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The proposal for convening the CICA was welcomed by a number of Asian States. During the next seven years, a series of meetings were held among the interested countries to discuss modalities of convening the CICA and draft basic documents. The first meeting of the CICA Ministers of Foreign Affairs was held in 14 September 1999 with participation of 15 Member States. The Declaration on Principles Guiding Relations between CICA Member States was adopted at this meeting. The first CICA summit was held on 4 June 2002 with participation of 16 Member States and Almaty Act, the charter of the CICA, was adopted. At the second meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs in 2004, CICA Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures and CICA Rules of Procedures were adopted. At the second CICA Summit in 2006, it was decided to admit Thailand and Republic of Korea as new members and to establish a permanent secretariat. At the third meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in 2008, Jordan and UAE were admitted as new members.
At the third CICA Summit in 2010, Turkey assumed Chairmanship of CICA from the founding Chairman Kazakhstan. The third Summit also admitted Iraq and Vietnam as new members and adopted the CICA Convention. Bahrain and Cambodia joined CICA in 2011, and Bangladesh and Qatar joined in 2014, bringing the number of member states to 26.

Fourth Summit was held in Shanghai, China at 2014 on May 20.

SHANGHAI, May 20 -- China's hosting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit will usher in a new stage of diplomacy.

As a founding member of the CICA, China has always been an active participant and builder of the regional cooperation mechanism, established in 1992 as a forum for dialogue and consultations.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said earlier this year that the CICA is an important security forum. Together with the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November, the two events are "key priorities for China's diplomacy this year", Wang said.

President Xi Jinping is scheduled to elaborate on China's diplomatic stance concerning Asian security at the summit.

Compared with the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, the CICA more focuses on such subjects as mutual and comprehensive security as well as cooperation to strengthen security. It also puts more emphasis on communication and trust.

Wednesday's CICA summit will be the largest ever, gathering 11 heads of state, one government head and 10 chiefs of international organizations including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"With its extensive and representative membership, the CICA is a dialogue forum on Asian security issues covering the largest number of countries," said Qu Xing, head of China Institute of International Studies.

Qu said the CICA provides an important opportunity for China to promote multilateral diplomacy at home, and for other member countries to strengthen communication.

"The Asian countries are in different development levels with different interest pursuits," said Huang Renwei, vice president of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. "The summit will help gather wisdom and consensus, and convey China's adherence to peaceful development to other Asian countries."

As the host, China will push forward with equal consultation and peaceful cooperation to handle disputes.

Apart from diplomacy at government levels, the CICA will offer an opportunity for Asians to deepen understanding and trust.

This will lay a solid foundation for a new Asia of peace, stability and cooperation.

Know more:

CICA summit to help Asian countries strengthen mutual trust

CICA summit expected to focus on new security concept