Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 5 June 2023 – A regular meeting of the Board of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) was convened in Dushanbe. The event brought together high-level delegations from the founding States of the Fund - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - as well as members of the Executive Committee and structural subdivisions of IFAS.
During the meeting, participants reviewed the activities of the IFAS Executive Committee during Tajikistan’s chairmanship, the progress in the implementation of the Fourth Aral Sea Basin Programme (ASBP-4), and preparations for the celebration of the Fund’s 30th anniversary.
Meeting of IFAS Board. Photocredit to SIC ICWC.
Special attention was given to strengthening the organizational structure and legal framework of the Fund, assessing the current phase of cooperation, and outlining prospects for future collaboration. Delegates exchanged views on key areas of the Fund’s work and extended mutual congratulations on the 30th anniversary of IFAS, recognizing its important role in fostering regional cooperation on water and environmental challenges in Central Asia.
The meeting concluded with the signing of 8 decisions by the Board, aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of joint efforts to preserve the Aral Sea ecosystem and promote sustainable development in the region. These include:
- Preparations for the Meeting of the Heads of State Founders of IFAS, to be held in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan, on 14-15 September 2023;
- Progress on the implementation of the Organizational Action Plan for the 30th Anniversary of IFAS;
- Progress in implementing the Fourth Aral Sea Basin Programme (ASBP-4);
- Activities of the Working Group on improving the organizational structure and legal framework of IFAS;
- Activities of the IFAS Executive Committee in 2022;
- Outcomes of participation in the United Nations Midterm Comprehensive Review Conference on the Implementation of the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028” (22-24 March 2023, New York, USA);
- Introduction of modern equipment for monitoring and accounting of water resources in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins;
- Agenda of the next meeting of the IFAS Board.