History of the REP4SD Development and the Roadmap Preparation
The Regional Environmental Programme for Sustainable Development in Central Asia (REP4SD) was initiated within the framework of the Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development to address the region’s shared environmental and socio-economic challenges.
The development of REP4SD responded to the need to strengthen regional cooperation in environmental protection and the sustainable use of natural resources and was started in accordance with the ICSD Decision No 2 of 8 June 2017. During 2018-2019, the SIC ICSD, with expert support from international partners — the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) — coordinated the REP4SD development process. This included the organization of technical consultations, meetings of National Working Groups, and Three Meetings of the Regional Working Group (the first held in December 2018 in Almaty, the second in April 2019 in Almaty, and the third in June 2019 in Almaty).
Within the framework of these meetings, key national priorities of the ICSD member States were identified. Only those thematic areas that were of common interest to at least two countries and therefore had a clear regional dimension were submitted for consideration by the Regional Working Group. As a result of a series of in-person and remote consultations, the participating countries were able to develop harmonized approaches and reach consensus on the core provisions of the document, which led to the preparation of the REP4SD draft. The Programme was officially adopted in October 2019.
An important milestone in the implementation of the Programme was the development of the Roadmap, prepared in accordance with ICSD Decision No. 2, paragraph 4, of 24 October 2019.
Roadmap Development Process
- Regional approach: Each Central Asian country structured its national proposals, which enabled their consolidation into a unified regional framework.
- Implementation process: The preparation of national inputs and their integration into a regional Roadmap were carried out by the SIC ICSD in close cooperation with its national branches, with technical support from UNEP.
- Purpose of the Roadmap: To define a clear set of actions, steps, and priorities for the implementation of REP4SD, ensuring coherence between national and regional efforts.
Based on the national submissions, a Regional Roadmap was developed and subsequently presented for discussion to the ICSD Advisory Council, revised in line with received comments, and approved at an ICSD meeting.
REP4SD and its Roadmap have become key instruments for advancing sustainable development and environmental protection in Central Asia, contributing to strengthened regional cooperation among the countries of the region.