BAKU, Republic of Azerbaijan
On 16 October, Kaha Imnadze, SRSG for Central Asia and Head of UNRCCA, on behalf of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, participated in the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), held in Baku, under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship. The Summit was convened under the theme “A Stronger CICA: Connectivity, Digitalization and Sustainable Growth in Asia.”
Addressing the Summit, SRSG Imnadze reaffirmed the longstanding partnership between the United Nations and CICA, underscoring their shared commitment to sustaining dialogue and building confidence to address both existing and emerging challenges, guided by the principles of the UN Charter and its enduring frameworks.
He highlighted the importance of connectivity, including transport corridors, trade routes, energy links and digital networks, as essential drivers of sustainable development and regional security through dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation. He also emphasized the need to reform the international financial architecture to ensure greater voice and participation of developing countries in decision-making, alongside the establishment of development-oriented debt frameworks and effective debt-relief mechanisms.
Furthermore, SRSG Imnadze called for the greater participation of women and young people in all processes. Against the backdrop of the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, he stressed the importance of ensuring that technologies shaping humanity’s future are accessible to all and developed inclusively, so as to prevent the perpetuation or amplification of historical injustices.
Reflecting on developments in Central Asia, SRSG Imnadze underlined the importance of good-neighbourly relations and the peaceful resolution of disputes, as an example mentioning the Treaty on the State Border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed in March 2025.
He also welcomed cooperation between the United Nations and the CICA Secretariat, including through the joint UNRCCA–United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) initiative, the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network for Central Asia.
The Summit concluded with the adoption of the Baku Declaration. The Declaration highlighted the continued importance of dialogue, regional connectivity and collective efforts to address shared challenges and foster a stable and prosperous region.
