Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 26 May 2009 – The 20th meeting of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) was held with the participation of more than 30 representatives from the ministries and government agencies of Central Asian countries. The meeting brought together ICSD members, national focal points for the implementation of the Regional Environmental Action Plan (REAP), heads of the Scientific Information Centre of the ICSD (SIC ICSD) and its national branches, representatives of the ICSD Public Council and the Central Asian Youth Environmental Network, as well as international partners, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), and others.
ICSD Meeting participants. Photocredit to SIC ICSD
Objectives of the Meeting
On 24-25 May, the Meeting of Responsible Designated Officials took place during which strategic directions for sustainable development and environmental cooperation in the region were discussed. UNEP representatives provided information on the ongoing preparations for the establishment of a Permanent Secretariat and the convening of the first Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Environmental Protection for Sustainable Development in Central Asia. An initiative to establish a UNEP regional office in Central Asia was also presented, with work underway to develop criteria for selecting its location.
The meeting reviewed the current status of national procedures for the approval of the Subregional Strategy for Sustainable Development of Central Asia. Delegates from the Kyrgyz Republic emphasized the need to accelerate this process. The Chair of the ICSD from the Republic of Uzbekistan reported on the progress in establishing a Regional Centre for Renewable Energy, with its headquarters to be located in Tashkent. Draft statutes and rules of procedure for the Centre’s Governing Board were shared for review and coordination by the participating States.
ICSD Meeting participants. Photocredit to SIC ICSD
The delegation of Turkmenistan presented its initiative to establish a working group to prepare for the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Forum on Climate Change Adaptation, to be held in Turkmenbashi in 2012. Kazakhstan provided updates on preparations for the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Environment (Astana, 2010) and the Seventh Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference (Astana, 2011).
WWF shared its work on the development of an Ecological Network in Central Asia. UNEP and the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific briefed participants on the outcomes of a subregional project aimed at strengthening strategic frameworks and policies for the promotion of low-emission societies in the region.
Special attention was devoted to issues related to climate change adaptation, the need to revise the REAP in light of new challenges, and the transition from planning to the practical implementation of projects. Participants emphasized the importance of promoting renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies, and supported the establishment of the Regional Renewable Energy Centre in Tashkent as a key step towards advancing green solutions in the region.
Outcomes of the Meeting
The meeting endorsed the report of the ICSD Chair on the work carried out during the 2007–2008 period under the chairmanship of the Kyrgyz Republic. In accordance with the ICSD Statute, the chairmanship was transferred to the Republic of Uzbekistan on a rotational basis for the 2009–2010 period.
Participants reaffirmed the need to accelerate the process of accession by Central Asian countries to the Framework Convention on Environmental Protection for Sustainable Development in Central Asia. The ICSD Chair was mandated to submit the agreed version of the Subregional Sustainable Development Strategy to the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) and to request UNEP’s support in developing an implementation plan.
The meeting also took note of the information on the establishment of a branch of the Regional Mountain Centre of Central Asia in Tajikistan, and approved the statute and the structure of the Governing Board of the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy. The ICSD Chair was requested to formally approve the related documents and organize the official opening of the Centre’s office in Tashkent, with technical and financial support from UNEP.
Participants acknowledged progress in the development of the SIC ICSD environmental web portal and the submission of materials to the UNEP Knowledge Hub. The ICSD expressed its readiness to request further financial and technical assistance from UNEP to ensure the continued operation and development of this platform.
The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of Central Asian countries to deepening environmental cooperation, strengthening institutional mechanisms for sustainable development, and advancing joint initiatives on the international stage.
Agenda of the Meeting of Designated Officials (May 24-25, 2009)
Agenda of the ICSD Meeting (May 26, 2009)
List of Participants
ICSD Decisions