UNFCCC COP28: Central Asian Governments Prepare a Regional Statement
Central Asia – October 17 – The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) held an online meeting of the working group to discuss a draft statement on behalf of the Governments of the Central Asian countries for the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai, UAE.
The meeting gathered the representatives of all Central Asian countries – officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the relevant ministries of the Central Asian states who were nominated by their governments as persons authorized to draft a joint regional statement.
According to the CAREC climate change regional specialist Vladimir Grebnev, the draft statement on behalf of the Central Asian Governments was prepared in line with the UNFCCC COP28 agenda.
A Director of the Climate Policy Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Saule Sabiyeva, highlighted the importance of discussing priorities of climate issues and their joint resolution in the format of five countries of the region.
Aizada Barieva, the Head of the Climate Policy Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, said that Kyrgyzstan generally supports the text of the regional statement.
Sino Tohirzoda, the Head of the NDC Secretariat under the Committee on Environmental Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan, suggested highlighting the region’s view on the issues of glaciers and mountains.
The Advisor to the Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Makhtymkuly Akmuradov, appreciated that the draft statement equally represents the interests of the countries of the region. He also supported the proposals made by his colleagues from Tajikistan.
The Director of the Research Institute of Environment and Nature Conservation Technologies of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Pulatov, agreed that the draft statement accommodates the interests of all countries. He suggested strengthening the climate change section of the regional statement.
In general, the meeting participants came to a common opinion that it is necessary to emphasize key points that are important for the countries of the Central Asian region, including problems caused by the increasing frequency of dust storms, issues of water resource distribution, biodiversity, and desertification.
Following the meeting, the preliminary text of the regional statement will be submitted for further approval to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Central Asian countries.
The meeting is held within the framework of the project “Strengthening coordination and positioning of Central Asia in global climate processes” implemented by CAREC under GIZ support and is part of the series of meetings “Regional Dialogue of Central Asian Countries on Joint Preparation for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change”.
Additional Information:
Dilovarsho Dustzoda, Program Manager “Climate Change and Sustainable Energy”/ CAMP4ASB AF Project Coordinator, recath_manager@carececo.org
Vladimir Grebnev, CAREC Climate Change Specialist, cc_specialist@carececo.org
Recall that for the first time in the history of the Conferences of the Parties to the UNFCCC, CAREC, with the support of the governments of the Central Asian countries, development partners and non-governmental organizations, organized the Central Asia Pavilion at the UNFCCC COP26 in November 2021 in Glasgow (UK). For the first time in the history of the COP, two Regional Statements on behalf of the governments of the Central Asian countries and NGOs were also announced in the Central Asian Pavilion.
The Central Asian Pavilion, united by the slogan “5 countries – 1 region – 1 vote”, allowed the Central Asian countries to present to the international community their investment potential, role in the global climate process, prospects and current funding needs and opportunities for cooperation. The Pavilion hosted over 60 events at COP26.
