Baku — Sept. 9
Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, used a speech to a regional forum in Baku on Monday to call for a larger voice for the Global South in international affairs, including reform of the United Nations Security Council, and highlighted his country’s growing role as a host for international summits.
In a letter read at the 13th session of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Think Tank Forum, Aliyev said it was “gratifying” that the gathering was being held in Azerbaijan for the first time outside China. He described the event as a platform to strengthen cooperation among think tanks on issues from security to technology and climate change.
Aliyev tied the forum to Azerbaijan’s broader diplomatic profile, citing the country’s chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement from 2019 to 2023 and its leadership of COP29, the U.N. climate conference, last year in Baku. He argued that countries of the Global South face structural disadvantages and should be “active participants in shaping a new, fair world order.”
“The Security Council has turned into an institution that no longer corresponds to the realities of today,” Aliyev wrote, noting that Azerbaijan itself had to enforce U.N. resolutions when it regained territory from Armenia.
The president also pointed to last month’s initialing of a peace treaty with Armenia, saying the agreement opens “new horizons” for regional stability. He promoted Azerbaijan’s ambition to serve as a transport hub linking East-West and North-South corridors, adding that the Zangezur corridor would soon become a vital connection “uniting continents.”
Aliyev has sought to cast Azerbaijan as a reliable convening site for international events. He reminded participants that the country recently hosted an Economic Cooperation Organization summit in Khankendi and is preparing to stage a Turkic States summit in October. In 2026, Azerbaijan will chair and host the CICA leaders’ summit as well as the U.N. World Urban Forum.
As CICA chair for 2024–2026, Azerbaijan plans to emphasize “connectivity, digitalization and sustainable growth,” Aliyev said. Priorities include strengthening CICA’s institutional standing and creating new structures such as a Finance Summit, a Women’s Council and a Climate Council.
Aliyev closed his message by expressing confidence that the forum would contribute to “valuable discussions on global issues” and congratulated participants on their work.
