Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 29–30 November 2009 – The 21st meeting of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) was convened in the capital of Uzbekistan. Organized with the support of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Nature Protection, the event brought together around 30 participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (expect for ICSD Members from Tajikistan), as well as representatives of international organizations, including UNEP, WWF and the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention.
Objectives of the Meeting
On the eve of the meeting, on November 29, a Meetingof Responsible Designated Officials was held to consider key issues, ranging from the transfer of the Chairmanship from the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Uzbekistan, to the preparations for the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Environmental Protection for Sustainable Development in the region. Particular attention was devoted to the process of agreeing the Subregional Strategy for Sustainable Development and the establishment of new regional institutions.
The role of civil society and youth was also highlighted. The Joint Plan of Action of the ICSD Public Council and the Central Asian Youth Environmental Network (CAYEN) was presented, including the creation of a dialogue platform to discuss the outcomes of the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. The participation of NGO representatives in international forums was also discussed, including the Global Ministerial Environment Forum and the Global Civil Society Forum, to be held in Bali (GCSS-11/GMEF) in February 2010.
Conclusions and Decisions
The Meeting held on November 30 endorsed the Activities of the ICSD for the reporting period 2007–2008. The Chairmanship was formally transferred from the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Uzbekistan. Participants reaffirmed the need to accelerate the process of accession by the countries of Central Asia to the Framework Convention on Environmental Protection for Sustainable Development, and mandated the ICSD Chair and the Interim Secretariat to determine preliminary financial requirements and prepare a rationale for annual contributions by the countries of the region. At the same time, the SIC ICSD was requested to finalize the draft Subregional Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Central Asian countries (SSD) taking into account national inputs, and to submit it for consideration to the Executive Committee of IFAS.
Information on the work of the Regional Mountain Centre of Central Asia was taken note of, and instructions were given to prepare for the Second Meeting of its Governing Council. Participants expressed support for the establishment of the Regional Renewable Energy Centre of Central Asia (RRE CA) and the appointment of Mr. Majid Khodjaev as its Executive Director. It was decided to convene the first meeting of the Governing Council of RRE CA in the first half of 2010 in Tashkent. The development of the SIC ICSD environmental portal and the issuance of the third edition of the newsletter Issues of Sustainable Development in Central Asia were also endorsed. A programme of concrete actions for portal development was proposed, along with a request to UNEP for technical and financial assistance.
The participants supported the initiative to develop a Medium-term ICSD strategy and mandated the Chair to pursue this issue with UNEP. Particular attention was given to climate change adaptation. The Minister of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan was tasked to address issues of coordination and financial support with UNEP and other donors.
The ICSD took note of the activities of the Public Council under the Commission and the CAYEN, endorsed their plans for 2010, and approved their Joint Action Plan to prepare NGOs of the region for international conferences in Astana. The idea of establishing a dialogue platform on the outcomes of COP-15 of the UNFCCC was supported, as well as a regional campaign on biodiversity within the framework of the International Year of Biodiversity – 2010. The participation of representatives of CAYEN and the ICSD Public Council in the Global Civil Society Forum, to be held in Bali in February 2010 in the margins of GCSS-11/GMEF, was also supported.
The meeting acknowledged the progress of WWF initiatives to establish an ecological network in the region, as well as the UNEP-KEMCO project aimed at developing strategic frameworks for low-carbon societies. Participants were briefed on the activities of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), including the initiative to establish a working group on water quality. Support was expressed for further advancement of the Central Asian Initiative on Sustainable Development and its integration into the preparations for the ministerial conferences in Astana in 2010 and 2011. The Commission also took note of the outcomes of the EU–CA High-level Meeting (Rome, November 2009) on water resources and environment.
In conclusion, the results of the UNEP regional seminars “Road to Copenhagen” were endorsed, a common regional position on the key elements of the negotiating text was agreed, and the ICSD Chair was mandated to present this position at COP-15 of the UNFCCC. The need to continue regional dialogue and consultations with donors in the aftermath of the Copenhagen Conference was underscored. It was decided to convene the next meeting of the ICSD in the first half of 2010 in the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Agenda of the Senior Officials’ Meeting (29 November 2009)
Agenda of the ICSD Meeting (30 November 2009)
List of Participants
ICSD Decisions (1-5)