Almaty – Kazakhstan – The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), with the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), organized a meeting for representatives of Central Asian countries to prepare a Regional Statement on behalf of the governments of Central Asia at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) on July 24, 2023.
The meeting convened the nominated representatives of Parliaments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Central Asian (CA) countries, and government agencies in charge of climate change issues.
The meeting discussed the following issues:
- the main trends and global processes of preparation for the UNFCCC COP28 and the participation of Central Asian countries in this process
- finding opportunities to organize a united Pavilion for Central Asian countries at COP28
- drafting the joint Regional Statement on behalf of the Central Asian countries at UNFCCC COP28
Representatives of all Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – unanimously recognized the importance of organizing the Central Asian Pavilion at COP28. According to them, a well-prepared joint pavilion of Central Asia with a rich programme will present the region at a high level and attract global climate investments.
As a result, the regional meeting identified the crucial issues for Central Asia which should be reflected in the text of the Regional Statement on behalf of the governments of the Central Asian countries. The participants proposed to specify the areas in which the Central Asian countries will work on adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change, as well as to indicate the strategic directions for which climate investment is needed. Among them are the urgent need to visualize the high vulnerability of the Central Asian region, the problem of glaciers and the development of mountain regions, issues of climate justice in the substitution of hydrocarbons, an early warning system for climate-sensitive emergencies, and a regional strategy for adaptation to climate change.
At the meeting, the participants noted that research on the climate problems of the region is systematically conducted in the Central Asian countries, confirming its high vulnerability. However, this information is outside the field of the global format and is not discussed at large-scale climate forums. As a result, the world community is practically unaware of the high vulnerability of the Central Asian region. The Regional Statement should reflect the results of ongoing research on the region’s climate vulnerability. At COP28 in Dubai, assistance to vulnerable groups will be considered one of the priority areas. It was proposed in the Regional Statement on behalf of the governments of the Central Asian countries to indicate assistance to mountain communities independent of glaciers as a possible climate investment.
Decisions on the organization of a single pavilion of the Central Asian countries, the structure and key topics of the Regional Statement on behalf of the Central Asian countries at the UNFCCC COP28 and other important issues were included in the meeting’s minutes. The meeting’s decisions will strengthen the position of the Central Asian region at the global climate level.
The meeting was organized within the framework of the project “Strengthening coordination and positioning of Central Asia in global climate processes” implemented by CAREC under GIZ support.
The meeting is held within the 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
Supported by the governments of the CA countries, NGOs, and development partners, CAREC organized a Central Asian Pavilion for the first time in the history of the Conference in November 2021, at UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow (UK). The CA Pavilion under the slogan “5 Countries – 1 Region – 1 Voice” provided a unique opportunity to get to know CA and its investment potential, to demonstrate its role in the global climate process, financing perspectives and current needs, technology exchange, and cooperation opportunities. A Regional statement of the countries of CA was made in the Pavilion also for the first time in the history of the COP. The countries of the region used the Pavilion to inform the global community about national priorities on climate and “green” transition, climate risks and objectives. At the subsequent UNFCCC COP27, the countries issued three regional statements on behalf of the governments, the civil sector and the youth.
