Dialogue and cooperation vital to tackling shared concerns, Ban tells Asian forum

Dialogue and cooperation are critical in today’s world, where a range of shared challenges require common approaches by countries and organizations, says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

In a message to a three-day regional meeting in Istanbul that began today, Mr. Ban highlighted the efforts of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in tackling common issues of concern.

He noted that the group’s meeting is a testament to the continued strengthening of CICA, which since its launch in 1992 has promoted multilateral exchange and the search, through dialogue, for common approaches to shared challenges in Asia.

CICA Member States have convened discussions and undertaken confidence-building initiatives in a wide array of areas, encompassing the economy and the environment and including the military-political sphere and the fight against new threats.

“The complexity and interdependence of these issues mean that no single country or Organization can provide solutions alone. Dialogue and cooperation are critical,” Mr. Ban said in the message, delivered by Jan Kubiš, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE).

The United Nations appreciates the readiness of CICA to strengthen its ties with the world body, he added, noting the support expressed by the group for Security Council resolutions on combating terrorism and for the UN Alliance of Civilizations – a five-year-old initiative set up under UN auspices to overcome prejudice among nations, cultures and religions.

“Both areas hold significant potential for our further interaction,” said Mr. Ban.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN’s readiness to work with CICA to deepen mutual understanding among cultures, expand prosperity and ensure the peaceful settlement of disputes.