Baku: Co-organized by the Center for Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), the second day of the 13th meeting of the CICA Think Tank Forum, themed ‘Resonance of Development and Security: Regional Cooperation and Governance in the Institutional Transformation of CICA,’ continued its work with sessions.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the meeting was moderated by Madina Igibayeva, a military-political analyst of the CICA Secretariat, and included discussions on ‘CICA as an International Organization-Transformation and Capacity Building.’ Mohammad Ashique Rahman, Senior Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIIS), highlighted the importance of the Forum amidst global problems and conflicts, emphasizing the risk of some regions becoming active conflict zones. Rahman stressed the need for CICA to engage young people, tapping into their potential to develop a robust work plan based on international values and sustainable cooperation mechanisms.
Wang Zhen, Deputy Director at the China Institute of International Relation Studies, stressed the necessity of a sustainable platform for transforming CICA. He advocated for a gradual, consensus-based process to transform CICA into an international organization, involving a structured negotiation process to strengthen multilateral cooperation. He noted the increasing multipolarity in international relations and the potential for rapidly developing nations to gain influence.
Nutan Kapoor Mahawar, Acting Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs, highlighted CICA’s role as a platform for addressing regional challenges such as terrorism, environmental issues, and poverty. She emphasized the importance of cooperation among member states to tackle these issues and noted the active participation of Indian centers in Forum discussions.
Other speakers highlighted CICA’s evolution from a dialogue forum to an international organization, describing it as a “historic transformation” supported by member states through a detailed roadmap. The meeting continued with further discussions.