Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 27 May 2022, Tashkent will host the third meeting of heads of ministries and departments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states responsible for environmental issues.

High-ranking delegations and experts from eight SCO member states, with the participation of representatives of the Secretariat of the Organization, will discuss topical tasks for further development of cooperation in the field of environmental protection, taking into account modern realities.

The event is held within the framework of the chairmanship of Uzbekistan in the SCO.

Currently, global environmental problems such as climate change, loss of flora and fauna, land degradation and depletion of water resources pose serious challenges to many countries. These challenges are also inherent in the vast expanse of the SCO, which covers 60% of the territory of Eurasia with a population of more than 3.2 billion people.

In this regard, a lot of attention is riveted to the Tashkent meeting of the chief ecologists of the SCO countries. It should become a logical continuation of the Organization's efforts to build up cooperation in jointly counteracting threats to ensuring environmental security.

The SCO is consistently and purposefully moving towards the formation of a rich agenda in the field of environmental protection and the promotion of green development through strengthening cooperation in the field. The first document of the Organization in this direction was the approval of the Concept of cooperation between the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the field of environmental protection. In order to implement it, the Action Plan for the implementation of the Concept for the period 2022-2024 was adopted and is being implemented, which was approved during the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States on 17 September 2020 in Dushanbe.

As expected, at the Tashkent meeting, the parties will exchange views on ways to enhance cooperation in such topical areas as environmental monitoring, biodiversity, protection of natural areas, climate change mitigation, scientific and technical cooperation, solid waste management and capacity building.

As a result of the ministerial meeting, the Program for the Joint Creation of the SCO Single Platform for the Exchange of Environmental Information is expected to be approved.