Consultative meeting on implementation mechanism for UN Special Program for Aral Sea Basin held in Turkmenistan

AKIPRESS.COM – The second consultative meeting of Central Asian countries on the development and definition of an implementation mechanism for the United Nations Special Program for the Aral Sea Basin (UN SPAS) and a Regional Seminar on Water Diplomacy were held in Avaza tourist zone on September 11-12, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan reported.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, and the State Committee on Water Resources of Turkmenistan, with support of the UNDP/GEF project “Conservation and Sustainable Management of Land and Water Resources and High Nature Value Ecosystems in the Aral Sea Basin for Multiple Benefits” and in collaboration with the Blue Peace Central Asia initiative. The meeting was follow-up to the first UN ESCAP regional consultative meeting, held in Ashgabat on November 30 – December 1, 2024.

The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant ministries and agencies from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, UNDP, the United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), the Scientific and Information Center of the International Committee on Water Resources (SIC ICWC), the Central Asia Regional Environmental Center (CAREC), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), UNESCO, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and other international and regional organizations.

During the two-day meetings, the participants exchanged views on further development of regional cooperation in the Aral Sea basin. They also reviewed the priorities of the five Central Asian states regarding the development of the UN Special Program. Delegations from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan presented their standpoints on further regional cooperation and possible directions for the development of the UN SPAS.

Following the second regional meeting, the participating countries adopted a Final Summary outlining the format for further work on the UN Special Program for the Aral Sea Basin, which describes practical steps for defining the format, legal framework, operational mechanisms, and financing of the Special Program.