The world benefits come from a peaceful and prosperous Asia, said United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres in his video address at the plenary session of the sixth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) on Oct. 13 in Astana.
“I am grateful for our partnership in pursuit of our shared goals: advancing sustainable development. Promotion of human rights, peace, and stability. And strengthening multilateral cooperation,” said Guterres.
The UN Secretary-General focused on the deterioration of trust and solidarity, citing rising geopolitical tensions, conflicts, and humanitarian crises. Climate change, COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, according to him, are worsening poverty and hunger and fueling social and political unrest.
Guterres noted that in this challenging context, regional efforts to build trust and confidence are becoming more important.
“Over the last 30 years, CICA has grown into a vital platform for dialogue between countries across Asia. (…) Together, let us meet the tests of our time and secure a better future for Asia and the world,” said Guterres, concluding his remarks.