On approval of the Regulations on the Secretariat of the Central Asia-China format
Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 31, 2025 No. 1148
In accordance with subparagraph 1) of Article 15 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On International Treaties of the Republic of Kazakhstan", I HEREBY DECREE:
1. To approve the attached Regulations on the Central Asia-China format Secretariat.
2. This Decree shall enter into force from the date of its signing.
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
K. Tokaev
Approved by Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan on December 31, 2025 No. 1148
Regulations on the Central Asia-China format Secretariat
Based on the goals and objectives set out in the Xi'an Declaration of May 19, 2023, the Central Asia—China format Secretariat is being created to comprehensively promote cooperation between the Central Asian States and the People's Republic of China and the functioning of appropriate mechanisms.
This Regulation defines the functions, powers, structure and composition of the Central Asia-China format Secretariat, as well as the rights, duties and status of its staff.
1. General provisions
1.1. The terms in this Regulation mean:
1.1.1. The "Format" is the "Central Asia-China" format, which is a platform for cooperation between China and the Central Asian States.
1.1.2. "Summit" is a meeting of the heads of state participating in the "Central Asia-China" format.
1.1.3. "Meeting of Foreign Ministers" is a Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Format.
1.1.4. "Mechanisms" - meetings of heads of state and other bodies, as well as organizations of the participating states of the Format.
1.1.5. "State Party" means the State party to the Format.
1.1.6. "General Secretary" is the chief official and head of the Format's Secretariat.
1.1.7. "Secretariat" is The Format's Secretariat.
1.1.8. "Sending State" means a Participating State that sends its citizens to work in the Secretariat.
1.1.9. "Host State" means the Participating State in whose territory the Secretariat is located.
1.1.10. "Secretariat Officials" are citizens of the Participating States who are employed on a quota basis within the approved staffing table and hold fixed-term positions in the Secretariat, including the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretaries-General, experts of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd categories.
1.1.11. "Staff of the Secretariat" - citizens of the Participating States who are not officials of the Secretariat, employed outside the staffing table.
1.1.12. "Staff of the Secretariat" - officials and staff of the Secretariat.
1.2. The Secretariat's activities are guided by the decisions of the Summit and the Meeting of Foreign Ministers, as well as these Regulations.
1.3. The Secretariat, within the limits of its powers, has the right to sign civil law documents (contracts) on its behalf, acquire and dispose of movable and immovable property, be a plaintiff or defendant in court, conduct monetary settlements and for this purpose have appropriate accounts in commercial banks and funds.
1.4. The structure and staffing table are coordinated through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and approved by the heads of the participating States of the Format. The proposal put forward by the Secretariat to amend the structure and staffing of the Secretariat is considered at the Meeting of Foreign Ministers and approved by the decision of the Summit.
2. Functions of the Secretariat
The Secretariat is a permanent executive body of the Format, has 5 structural divisions, including political, economic, humanitarian, information and analytical, administrative departments, and performs the following functions:
2.1. provides organizational, informational, analytical, legal and technical support for the Format's activities;
2.2. Develops and collects proposals and background materials from the participating States on the agenda, dates and venue of the Summit and Meetings of Foreign Ministers.;
2.3. In agreement with the Secretary General, it sends to the participating States the draft agenda of the Summit and Meetings of Foreign Ministers, proposals from the Participating States on supplementing the agenda, draft documents submitted for consideration within the framework of the Format, as well as the necessary analytical and reference materials. The materials and documents referred to in this paragraph are sent, as a rule, no later than 20 (twenty) days before the start of the Summit and Meetings of Foreign Ministers, unless another deadline is set.;
2.4. Organizes consultations of representatives of the Participating States on draft documents to be submitted for consideration at the Summit and Meetings of Foreign Ministers;
2.5. provides organizational and technical support for the Summit and Meetings of Foreign Ministers in cooperation with the host country;
2.6. participates in ensuring the implementation of documents adopted at the Summit and Meetings of Foreign Ministers;
2.7. Launches and maintains the website of the Secretariat, prepares and issues information messages in the Format;
2.8. Draws up a draft work plan of the Secretariat;
2.9. Requests from the Participating States open information, reference and other materials necessary to ensure the work of the Secretariat. Creates a database of the Secretariat related to the work of the Format;
2.10. Provides protocol support for the activities of the Secretary General and Deputy Secretaries General;
2.11. formulates proposals for the work plans of the Secretariat, submits a report on the budget and financial report, ensures accounting, regular management and control over the collection of appropriations, budget execution and the use of funds and assets of the Secretariat;
2.12. Maintains contacts with States and international organizations on issues related to the activities of the Format;
2.13. hires staff outside the staffing table to provide technical support for the functioning of the Secretariat;
2.14. Organizes scientific symposiums, conferences and other events in agreement with the participating States. Provides assistance to authorized agencies in organizing events within the framework of the Format.
3. Staff of the Secretariat
3.1. The Secretary-General is the chief official of the Secretariat and heads it.
The Secretary General is approved by the heads of State of the Format on the basis of consensus among the participating States from among the citizens of the participating States on a rotating basis in the following order: the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan for a period of 3 (three) years without the right to renew for another term.
3.2. The Secretary General performs the following main functions::
3.2.1. present and may speak at the Summit and Meetings of Foreign Ministers without the right to vote;
3.2.2. may lead a delegation on behalf of the Secretariat at events held by international organizations and States, establish contacts with representatives of international organizations and States, as well as the media.;
3.2.3. within the framework of his functions, he makes statements on topical issues of the Format's activities on behalf of the Secretariat, as agreed by the parties.;
3.2.4. Submits to the Meeting of Foreign Ministers an annual report on the work of the Secretariat, a proposal on the formation of a draft budget for the next financial year and a budget performance report.;
3.2.5. is the administrator of the appropriations intended for the maintenance of the Secretariat;
3.2.6. on behalf of the Secretariat, concludes agreements (contracts), acquires and disposes of movable and immovable property, opens and maintains bank accounts with commercial banks, and acts as a plaintiff and defendant in courts;
3.2.7. On behalf of the Secretariat, signs an Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Central Asia-China Format Secretariat on the conditions of the Secretariat's stay in the People's Republic of China;
3.2.8. may delegate certain powers granted to him to one of his deputies.;
3.2.9. within the framework of the approved structure and staffing table of the Secretariat, defines the functions of the structural units and duties of the officials of the Secretariat.;
3.2.10. In agreement with the Participating States, has the right to redistribute the number of officials of the structural divisions of the Secretariat within the total authorized strength of the Secretariat.;
3.2.11. issues instructions, internal regulations, a list of non-working holidays and other regulations ensuring the normal functioning of the Secretariat, as well as signs contracts with Secretariat officials. The Secretariat staff is recruited on a contractual basis within the limits of budget allocations.
3.3. On the basis of proposals from the Participating States, the Deputy Secretaries-General are approved by agreement between the Participating States for a period of 2 (two) years, with the right to extend the period to 12 (twelve) months. Deputy Secretaries-General may not be representatives of the same State from which the Secretary-General was appointed.
One First Deputy Secretary General has been established, occupying the first place among the deputies, with the same salary and financial support as other Deputy Secretaries General. When a citizen of one of the Central Asian States is appointed to the post of Secretary General, a citizen of the People's Republic of China is appointed First Deputy Secretary General. When a citizen of the People's Republic of China is appointed to the post of Secretary General, a citizen of one of the Central Asian States is appointed First Deputy Secretary General in accordance with the Russian alphabet of the State name in order: the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
3.4. The officials of the Secretariat comprise a total of 16 (sixteen) persons, including the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretaries-General, experts of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd categories, who are international employees. Experts of all categories are allocated on a quota basis, in agreement with the Secretary-General, according to the submission of the participating States, taking into account the amount of their contributions to the Secretariat budget.:
3.4.1. Experts of all categories are hired under a contract for a period of 2 (two) years with the right to extend for another period, which defines their terms of service, rights and obligations, remuneration and other social conditions. On the part of the Secretariat, the contract is signed by the Secretary General;
3.4.2. for non-performance or improper performance by an official of the Secretariat of the duties assigned to him, the Secretariat may notify the sending State, after consultation with the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretaries-General, apply disciplinary measures such as a remark, a warning about incomplete official compliance and termination of the contract. The Secretary-General must notify the sending State in advance, no later than two (2) months before the expected termination date, of his intention to terminate the contract with the official and provide all necessary documentary grounds. The sending State may object to the Secretary-General's decision. All possible disagreements on personnel issues between the Secretary-General and the sending State are resolved through consultations.;
3.4.3. The sending State may raise the issue of early recall of an official, provided that in the first two (2) years after the conclusion of the contract, the possibility of such recall is usually not used, except in exceptional circumstances. The decision to recall an official of the Secretariat (except in exceptional circumstances) is sent to the Secretary-General by the sending State no later than two (2) months before the expected recall. At the same time, the sending State notifies the Secretary-General of the planned candidate to replace the recalled official of the Secretariat. The term of the planned candidacy does not exceed the term of the predecessor, including the maximum possible extension;
3.4.4. The Secretariat provides organizational and technical assistance to the officials of the Secretariat in finding residential premises and concluding a contract for its hiring.;
3.4.5. Officials of the Secretariat are provided with an annual paid leave of 36 (thirty-six) calendar days.
3.5. Officials must meet the professional requirements for their duties and the nature of the work they need to perform.
3.5.1. In the performance of their duties, Secretariat officials shall equally take into account the interests of all Participating States, should not seek or receive instructions from any State authorities of the Participating States, as well as allow any actions that may prejudice the status of the Secretariat and affect their position as international employees.. The Participating States shall respect the status of the officials of the Secretariat and shall do their utmost to assist them in the performance of their official duties.
3.5.2. Officials of the Secretariat may not:
engage in activities incompatible with the status of international employees, in particular, use their official position in the interests of political parties and associations;
receive gifts, monetary rewards, loans, vacation pay, and other rewards from individuals and legal entities related to the performance, non-performance, or improper performance of their official duties;
to participate in the management of a commercial organization or to have a financial interest in the activities of any commercial enterprises, if such participation or financial interest allows him to benefit from his official position.;
to use for non-official purposes the means of material, financial, informational and technical support, and other property of the Secretariat;
publish or transfer to a third party documents that are not intended for wide distribution.
3.5.3. Prior to the entry into force of the Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Central Asia-China Format Secretariat on the Conditions of the Secretariat's Stay in the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement) The Secretariat and its officials enjoy in the People's Republic of China the privileges and immunities provided for in the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, adopted on February 13, 1946.
After the entry into force of the Agreement, the Secretariat and its officials shall enjoy the privileges and immunities provided for in the Agreement.
3.6. The staff of the Secretariat are hired in accordance with a uniform procedure from among the citizens of the participating States on a fixed-term contract, which sets out their status, rights and obligations, salary, guarantees and compensation. It is allowed to hire employees on the basis of a secondment. The monetary allowance, guarantees and compensations, and the areas of work of such employees are established by the sending State.
3.7. The staff of the Secretariat should avoid any actions or such public statements, written or oral, that may prejudice the Format or the Secretariat.
3.8. During their term of office, the staff of the Secretariat may not, without the permission of the Secretary General,:
accept any gifts and awards from any sources outside the Secretariat;
publish papers and articles related to topics affecting the Secretariat;
to use for personal purposes information that becomes known to him through his official positions.
3.9. The staff of the Secretariat is obliged to comply properly with the rules governing their status and duties, the internal regulations of the Secretariat and other instructions and orders issued by the Secretary General.
3.10. The personal files of the Secretariat staff are maintained by the relevant structural unit of the Secretariat.
4. Final provisions
4.1. The working languages of the Secretariat are Chinese and Russian, which should be used in daily work and in the preparation of documents of the Secretariat and Format.
4.2. The location of the Secretariat is Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
4.3. The conditions of the Secretariat's stay in the territory of the People's Republic of China are determined by Agreement.
4.4. By decision of the Summit, adopted on the basis of proposals following the Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, amendments and additions may be made to this Regulation, which are its integral parts, and which enter into force in accordance with the procedure provided for in paragraph 4.5 of these Regulations.
4.5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China is the depositary of these Regulations.
This Regulation is open for signature by the Participating States.
This Regulation shall enter into force on the date of receipt by the depositary, through diplomatic channels, of the fifth written notification from the participating States on their completion of the internal procedures necessary for its entry into force.
For a State Party that has signed this Regulation later, it shall enter into force on the date of receipt by the depositary of the relevant notification on the implementation of internal procedures.
The Depositary shall notify the Participating States and the Secretariat of the date of entry into force of this Regulation.
The original copy of the Regulation is kept by the depository. The Depositary shall send certified copies of these Regulations to the participating States and the Secretariat.
4.6. A State Party may withdraw from this Provision by sending a written notification to the depositary of its intention no later than 6 (six) months prior to the expected date of withdrawal from this Provision.
This Regulation is signed in one original copy in Chinese and Russian, both texts being equally authentic.
Regulations on the Central Asia-China format Secretariat
President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping
signature _____________
date _________________
Regulations on the Central Asia-China format Secretariat
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Tokayev
signature _____________
date _________________
Regulations on the Central Asia-China format Secretariat
President of the Kyrgyz Republic
S.N. Japarov
signature _____________
date _________________
Regulations on the Central Asia-China format Secretariat
President of the Republic of Tajikistan N.S. Rahmon
signature _____________
date _________________
Regulations on the Central Asia-China format Secretariat
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan N.M. Mirziyoyev
signature _____________
date _________________
President
Republic of Kazakhstan
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