Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, 22-24 November 2008 – The 19th meeting of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) of Central Asian countries was held at the “Ak-Keme” Hotel in Bishkek with the financial support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The meeting was attended by ICSD members – heads of environmental authorities of Central Asian countries, the Head of the ICSD Secretariat, directors of the Scientific-Information Center of ICSD (SIC ICSD) and its branches, national focal points for implementation of the Regional Environmental Action Plan (REAP), representatives of the Public Council and the Youth Environmental Network of Central Asia, as well as representatives of international organizations. Among the distinguished participants were Mr. Young-Woo Park, newly appointed Regional Director of UNEP’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and Mr. Mahesh Pradhan, Regional Programme and Project Coordinator of UNEP.
The meeting was opened by Mr. A. Davletkeldiev, ICSD Chair and Director of the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, who read out a message from the President of the Kyrgyz Republic to the participants of the ICSD meeting.
Objectives of the ICSD Meeting
The primary objective of the ICSD meeting was to consider ways to enhance the effectiveness and coordination of ongoing regional cooperation initiatives in the field of environmental protection.
In line with the approved agenda, the Chair presented a report on the work carried out by ICSD, SIC ICSD, the Public Council under ICSD and the Youth Environmental Network of Central Asia during the two-year chairmanship of the Kyrgyz Republic. The report covered the development of the Regional Mountain Centre of Central Asia (RMC-CA), preparation of the draft Subregional Strategy on Sustainable Development for Central Asia (SSSD-CA), regional responses to climate change challenges, steps to further strengthen ICSD activities in the coming years, and the participation of ICSD in international processes.
Conclusions and Decisions
The report of the Chair was endorsed by ICSD Decision No. 1, which also took note of the information from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on the status of accession to the Framework Convention on Environmental Protection for Sustainable Development in Central Asia. The Chair was tasked to approach the Interim Secretariat of the Convention to clarify preliminary financial requirements for the functioning of a permanent Secretariat and the annual contributions of Central Asian countries. The National Focal Points, in cooperation with SIC ICSD and with due consideration of UNEP’s recommendations, were requested to identify preliminary financial requirements for countries’ contributions following accession or ratification of the Convention.
The meeting approved the composition of the RMC-CA Governing Council, which included the heads of environmental agencies of all five Central Asian countries. In accordance with the adopted regulations, Mr. H.Z. Zikirov, ICSD member from the Republic of Tajikistan and Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan, was appointed Chair of the Governing Council.
SIC ICSD provided information on the preparation of the Subregional Strategy on Sustainable Development for Central Asia. ICSD Decision No. 3 took note of the results of the work carried out by SIC ICSD on the development and consultations of the draft strategy at the national and regional levels. SIC ICSD was requested to finalize the draft SSSD-CA by 10 December, while the heads of environmental agencies were tasked to carry out the necessary national approval procedures.
The delegation of Turkmenistan informed participants about ongoing activities to coordinate climate change initiatives in Central Asia. Recognizing the regional importance of addressing global climate change, ICSD Decision No. 4 endorsed the recommendations of the regional ICSD seminar on “Building Capacity for Regional Cooperation in Implementing REAP Priorities with Consideration of Climate Change” (16–18 August 2008, Ashgabat), and adopted as a basis the draft structure of a Regional Strategy on Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation.
In light of the need to update REAP with due regard to climate change and emerging environmental challenges, ICSD Decision No. 5 approved the draft structures of the ICSD Medium-Term Strategy and the revised REAP, as well as indicative budgets for their preparation. The Regional Focal Points, together with SIC ICSD, were tasked with developing the ICSD Medium-Term Strategy and revising REAP accordingly.
The meeting also discussed ICSD’s engagement in international initiatives and forums. Participants were briefed on the UNEP project “Building Capacity for Strategic Frameworks and Environmental Policies to Promote Low-Carbon Societies in Central Asia,” as well as on the progress of the “Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management” (CACILM).
In the framework of the ICSD meeting, the first session of the RMC-CA Governing Council was convened. Members reviewed the results of the competition for the post of RMC-CA Executive Director and the report on activities to date. Mr. I.A. Dairov was appointed Executive Director of RMC-CA, while the Chair of the Governing Council and the new Executive Director were tasked with initiating donor negotiations to mobilize resources for implementing the 2009 Strategy and Programme of Work, as well as preparing for the opening of a branch office in Tajikistan (Decision No. 2).
The ICSD Chair also briefed participants on preparations for the Second Bishkek Global Mountain Summit, to be held in 2009. ICSD Decision No. 6 tasked RMC-CA with establishing a Working Group of member countries to coordinate ICSD’s participation in the Summit.
International organizations, including UNEP, OSCE and CACILM, commended the high level of the meeting and expressed their readiness to further expand and strengthen cooperation in Central Asia. ICSD members also underlined the importance of enhancing the role of the Public Council and the Youth Environmental Network of Central Asia. ICSD Decision No. 7 endorsed the activities of both bodies.
The meeting concluded with the decision to hold the next ICSD session in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, in the first half of 2009, during which the chairmanship of ICSD will pass from the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Uzbekistan in accordance with the established rotation. The meeting closed with the formal adoption and signing of ICSD decisions.
Agenda of the Meeting of Designated Officials (November 22-23, 2008)
Agenda of the ICSD Meeting (November 24, 2008)
List of Participants
ICSD Decisions 1-7