According to the CICA Rules of Procedure adopted at the meeting of foreign ministers of the conference’s member states in 2004, countries taking part in the CICA dialogue forum have the status of either member state or observer.
Member states must have part of their territory geographically located in Asia. Such states can apply to the President of the CICA with a request to join the CICA as a member state and confirm their willingness to observe the principles and decisions adopted or signed within the CICA framework. The status of member state is accorded by decision of heads of state and/or government at their summit meetings or by meetings of the CICA foreign ministers.
The CICA currently has 17 full member states: Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Israel, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Countries (and international organisations or forums) wishing to obtain the status of observer can address a request to the President of the CICA stating their wish to become observers in the CICA. The status of observer is accorded by decision of the meetings of CICA foreign ministers.
Current observers in the CICA are the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the League of Arab States, the Republic of Korea, the United States of America, Ukraine, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
Observers from Japan and the USA (diplomatic staff in Kazakhstan) are present at meetings of the special working groups and meetings of the Committee of Senior Officials.
The Kazakhstan presidency has been actively promoting close cooperation between the CICA and the OSCE. A joint forum bringing together political analysts and experts from the CICA and the OSCE is due to take place in Almaty at the end of 2006.