Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD)
The Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) serves as a coordinating body for regional cooperation on environment and sustainable development in Central Asia.
The ICSD is a body of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), established by the Presidents of the Central Asian States in accordance with the Agreement on Joint Actions to Address the Problems of the Aral Sea, to Rehabilitate the Environment, and to Ensure the Socio-Economic Development of the Aral Sea Region, signed by the Heads of State of Central Asia in Kyzyl-Orda in March 1993.
The principal objective of the ICSD is to coordinate and manage regional cooperation in the field of environment and sustainable development in Central Asia, as well as to organize and coordinate activities related to the development of regional programmes and action plans on environment and sustainable development. It functions as the coordinating body of the process within the framework of the Regional Environmental Action Plan for Sustainable Development (REAPSD).
Main tasks of the ICSD:
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Organization and coordination of the development of a regional strategy for sustainable development, as well as programmes and plans for sustainable development;
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Management of regional programmes, action plans, and projects in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development;
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Organization of expert review and preparation of regional projects;
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Coordination of actions in the implementation by the Central Asian States of their commitments under environmental conventions with a transboundary dimension;
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Facilitation of the harmonization of legislative and methodological frameworks in the field of environmental protection;
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Promotion of interstate information exchange and establishment of a regional information bank on environment and sustainable development.
| Statute of ICSD (2000) - [in Russian] [in English] |
| Institutional structure of ICSD |
ICSD Working Bodies:
The ICSD consists of 15 members — three representatives from each State (Ministers of Environment, Deputy Ministers of Economy, representatives of science and other sectors), appointed by their respective Governments.
The working bodies of the ICSD are:
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The Secretariat, which provides technical and financial support to ICSD activities;
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The Scientific-Information Centre (SIC), based in Turkmenistan, with branch offices in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan;
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The Consultative Council, comprising experts from the Sustainable Development Network, representatives of NGOs, and donors.
Chairmanship of the ICSD
The chairmanship of the ICSD is carried out on a rotational basis for a two-year term and is transferred from one Central Asian State to another, at the level of Ministers of Environment.
| Period | Chairing State | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-1996 | Turkmenistan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 1997-1998 | Kyrgyzstan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 1999-2000 | Uzbekistan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2000-2001 | Kazakhstan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report (1999-2000); Chairmanship Report (2000-2001) |
| 2002-2004 | Tajikistan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2004-2006 | Turkmenistan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2007-2008 | Kyrgyzstan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2009-2010 | Uzbekistan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2011-2012 | Kazakhstan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2013-2015 | Tajikistan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2015-2019 | Turkmenistan | Work Plan (2015-2016 and 2017) | Chairmanship Report |
| 2019-2021 | Uzbekistan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2022-2024 | Kazakhstan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
| 2024-2026 | Tajikistan | Work Plan | Chairmanship Report |
ICSD meetings are convened according to an approved plan, as well as at the initiative of not fewer than three of the five participating States, but not less than twice a year.