On October 21, 2024, a conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s accession to the Aarhus Convention was held. The event was organized with the support of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat.
During the conference, the participants discussed the key role of the Aarhus Convention in promoting the principles of good environmental management and sustainable development, as well as the special importance of the Aarhus Center in Turkmenistan, which is actively working to implement these principles at the national level.
It should be noted that in August 2012, with the support of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat and the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, the project “Aarhus Center in Turkmenistan” was implemented. This project was carried out on the basis of the “Tebigi Kuvvat” public association and laid a solid foundation for further promotion of the principles of the Aarhus Convention in the country. Since 2020, in order to ensure sustainability, the Aarhus Center continues to operate under the “Tebigi Kuvvat” NGO, in order to fulfill the goals of promoting the provisions of the Aarhus Convention in Turkmenistan.
Marina Janush, an environmental specialist, the Secretariat of the UNECE Aarhus Convention from Geneva, attended the conference and spoke about the role of the Aarhus Center in Turkmenistan in fulfilling obligations to promote the principles of good environmental management and sustainable development.
The Director of the Aarhus Center in Turkmenistan, Yolbars Kepbanov, presented a national report on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the country. In his speech, he stressed the important achievements of Turkmenistan in the field of environmental transparency and the involvement of citizens in decision-making processes related to the environment.
The conference was also attended by representatives of international organizations, government agencies and public associations and civil society. All of them noted the importance of the Aarhus Convention for the sustainable development of the countries of the region.
Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the Project Office of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), expressed a special opinion on the importance of the activities of the Aarhus Center, noting that 25 years is not just an anniversary, but also an indicator of sustainable and effective work. During this period, the Aarhus Center in Turkmenistan has become an important link in promoting environmental standards and citizens’ rights to access information, participate in environmental decision-making and environmental justice.
The conference was an important milestone for assessing progress and discussing future steps to further implement the principles of the Aarhus Convention in Turkmenistan.
Additional information:
Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan, turkmenistan@carececo.org
