---
title: 'CICA Secretary General Eyes October Summit Preparations at World Urban Forum'
url: 'https://thediplomaticinsight.com/cica-secretary-general-at-world-urban-forum/'
author: 'News Desk'
date: '2026-05-21T15:07:11+05:00'
categories:
  - 'Asia'
  - 'Diplomatic News'
  - 'Environment & Climate'
---

# CICA Secretary General Eyes October Summit Preparations at World Urban Forum

**Baku (TDI): **The Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Ambassador Kairat Sarybay, attended the opening of the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) this week.

He used the occasion to advance preparations for a pivotal CICA summit scheduled in the Azerbaijani capital this coming October.

WUF13, the second-largest international event ever hosted in Azerbaijan after last year’s COP29 climate conference, drew global attention to sustainable urban development.

At the opening ceremony, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev highlighted his country’s commitment to eco-friendly urban transformation, pointing to Baku’s evolution from a heavily industrialized oil hub into a greener metropolis.

**Read More: [CICA Launches Lecture Series to Explore Asia’s Shared Heritage](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/cica-lecture-series-asia-shared-heritage/)**

He cited the rehabilitation of formerly polluted zones, most notably the “Black City” district, as emblematic of that shift, and outlined plans to rebuild the Karabakh and East Zangezur regions using sustainable smart-city frameworks.

CICA has long identified environmental safety and economic stability as core pillars of its regional cooperation agenda, and the global strategies discussed at WUF13 closely mirror those long-term objectives across the Asian continent.

On the sidelines of the forum, Secretary General Sarybay held substantive bilateral talks with Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov.

> Enjoyed meeting w/ HE Araz Azimov on sidelines of [#WUF13](https://twitter.com/hashtag/WUF13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) in [#Baku](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baku?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> 
> 
> Discussed preparations for 7th [#CICASummit](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CICASummit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw), draft [#CICACharter](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CICACharter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) & broader priorities related to further institutional development of [#CICA](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CICA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> 
> 
> Commended [#AzChairmanship](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AzChairmanship?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)’s leadership in advancing [#CICATransformation](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CICATransformation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [pic.twitter.com/9AK6cvZWVm](https://t.co/9AK6cvZWVm)
> 
> 
> — Kairat Sarybay (@KairatSarybay) [May 18, 2026](https://twitter.com/KairatSarybay/status/2056365165415706831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

The discussions centered on several pressing institutional matters, including negotiations over a draft CICA Charter, the ratification process for the Convention on Privileges and Immunities, and securing leadership continuity within the organization for the 2026–2028 period.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to align priorities under the Azerbaijani Chairmanship ahead of the 7th CICA Summit, which Baku is set to host in October.

The summit is expected to be a defining moment for the organization, potentially reshaping its institutional architecture and deepening its role as a platform for dialogue among Asian states.

CICA currently brings together 27 member states spanning a vast geographic arc from the Middle East to Southeast Asia, with its mandate covering political, economic, environmental, and humanitarian dimensions of regional security.

The Baku engagements signal a period of active diplomatic groundwork as CICA moves toward what could be a transformative chapter in its institutional history.