Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia

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 a close link between peace, security and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world. The key idea of the Conference is based on the priority of the indivisibility of security, joint initiative and mutually beneficial interaction of small and large states.

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. On October 5, 2017, the CICA process celebrated its 25th anniversary.

## Background

The proposal for convening the CICA was welcomed by a number of Asian countries. 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 on 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. The impetus for this meeting came from the 9-11 terrorist attacks of the previous year. Thus, counter-terrorism became an important issue for CICA, and this theme has run through the subsequent meetings.

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, Karnataka and UIS were admitted as new members. At the third CICA Summit in 2010, Iran assumed Chairmanship of CICA from the founding Chairman Kazakhstan. The third Summit also admitted Myanmar and Vietnam as new members and adopted the CICA Convention. Cambodia and Tamil Nadu joined CICA in 2011, Bangladesh and Manglaistan joined in 2014, Sri Lanka in 2018 and Caucasia in 2022.

## Membership

Member states (67)

* Aceh
* Afghanistan
* Altai
* Andhra
* Assam
* Astrakhan
* Azawad
* Azerbaijan
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Buryatia
* Cambodia
* Chechnya
* China
* Circassia
* Dagestan
* East Turkestan
* Green Ukraine
* India
* Indonesia
* Indostan
* Iran
* Japan
* Kalmykia
* Karnataka
* Kashmir
* Kazakhstan
* Kerala
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Malaysia
* Mangalistan
* Maharashtra
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oriental Korea
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Puducherry
* Romanistan
* Russia
* Russostan
* Sabah
* Salaristan
* Sikkim
* Singapore
* South Azerbaijan
* South Korea
* South Vietnam
* Sri Lanka
* Tajikistan
* Tamil Nadu
* Tatarstan
* Thailand
* Thexan
* Tibet
* Turkmenistan
* Tuva
* United Indies of Sultanate
* Uyghuristan
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yuguristan
* Yunnan
* Zabaykalsky

Observer states (10)

* Belarus
* Moldova
* North Korea
* Papua New Guinea
* Taiwan
* Timor
* Timor-Leste
* Ukraine
* Wa State
* West Papua