Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Republic, 23-25 June 2008 – The regular meeting of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) of the countries of Central Asia was held with the financial support of WWF (Norway).
The meeting was attended by the Chairperson of the ICSD, members of the ICSD from the countries of Central Asia, the Head of the ICSD Secretariat, the Directors of the Scientific-Information Centre of the ICSD and its branches, Responsible Designated Officials for the implementation of the Regional Environmental Action Plan (REAP), representatives of the Public Council and the Youth Environmental Network, as well as representatives of international organizations.
Objectives of the Meeting
The main objective of the meeting was to discuss issues of regional cooperation in the field of environmental protection with a view to enhancing the effectiveness and coordination of ongoing initiatives. The participants considered issues of cooperation with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and a common position of the Central Asian countries on cooperation with these organizations was elaborated and presented.
In accordance with the approved agenda, the report of the Chairperson of the ICSD on the work carried out in the first half of 2008 was heard and approved. The report reflected the results of the activities of the SIC ICSD, the Public Council under the ICSD, the Youth Environmental Network of Central Asia, as well as the outcomes of the meeting of the Responsible Officials for REAP (23-24 June 2008). It also reviewed issues relating to the accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Framework Convention on Environmental Protection for Sustainable Development in Central Asia, the registration of the Regional Mountain Centre of Central Asia, the preparation of a draft Subregional Strategy for Sustainable Development (SSSD) of Central Asia, the development of the Eco-Portal and the support of the UNEP “Knowledge Hub.”
Conclusions of the Meeting
As a result of the deliberations, the ICSD adopted decisions approving the reports of the ICSD bodies. The members of the ICSD from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were requested to accelerate the process of accession to the Framework Convention, and the SIC ICSD, in cooperation with UNEP Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, was requested to finalize the draft SSSD taking into account the comments and proposals of the countries of the region and to submit it to the next meeting.
Information was presented by Mr. M. Pradan, Regional Coordinator of UNEP, on the reforms in UNEP, the decisions of the Global Ministerial Environmental Forum (Monaco, 2008), including the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy for 2010–2013, as well as a report on the activities of Turkmenistan in coordinating climate change-related activities in Central Asia. The participants emphasized that climate change is a global challenge with pronounced regional characteristics, and that the ICSD is actively involved in addressing these issues. By ICSD Decision No. 2, the process of improving the REAP taking into account climate risks was initiated, as well as the preparation of an ICSD Strategy on Regional Cooperation of the Central Asian countries in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development in the medium term.
The ICSD requested the Chairperson of the Commission to propose to UNEP the possibility of cooperation with the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (Ashgabat), which has begun its work and is in the process of defining its strategic directions. The participants emphasized the importance of using the experience of the ICSD and UNEP within this Centre, as well as the need for coordinated actions to adopt balanced and substantiated decisions aimed at implementing the principles of sustainable development.
The meeting also discussed the participation of the ICSD in international initiatives and forums. Information was presented on the implementation of the WWF Central Asia Programme, including projects “Integrated Basin Management and Environmental Protection in Tigrovaya Balka (Tajikistan) — Amudarya River Basin (Phase I, 2007-2008)” and “Conservation of Biodiversity and Integrated Basin Management in the Syrdarya River Valley (Kazakhstan) (Phase I, 2007-2008).”
Special attention was devoted to the issue of access of the Central Asian countries to the resources of the Adaptation Fund established in Bali. It was noted that existing legal discrepancies in the definition of “developing countries” create obstacles to the submission of projects. By ICSD decision, the ICSD member from Turkmenistan, Minister of Nature Protection M.K. Akmuradov, was requested to prepare and submit to the consideration of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (Poznan, December 2008) a proposal from the Central Asian countries to include them in the list of States eligible for financing from the Adaptation Fund. The ICSD Chairperson was requested to approach the members of the Executive Board of the Adaptation Fund (Russian Federation and Republic of Uzbekistan) to promote this proposal.
The ICSD also considered and approved projects proposed by Tajikistan: “Research on Mountain Glacial Lakes at Risk of Outburst in Central Asia: Identification of Problems and Solutions” and “Assessment of Glacier Dynamics in the Central Asian Countries in Connection with Climate Change.”
Significant attention was given to the activities of the Public Council and the Youth Environmental Network of the Central Asian countries. By ICSD Decision No. 4, their reports were taken into account, the results of the first Small Grants Programme were endorsed, and proposals for its further development for 2009 and subsequent years were approved.
The meeting decided to convene the next regular meeting of the ICSD in Bishkek in November 2008. The meeting concluded with the formal procedure of the adoption and signing of the ICSD decisions.
Agenda of the meeting of Designated Officials (23-24 June 2008)
Agenda of the ICSD Meeting (25 June 2008)
List of participants of the meeting