Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- An international conference "Strengthening regional cooperation in the water sector in Central Asia" was held on 25 May 2021. The event was organized by the International Institute of Central Asia in cooperation with the UNESCO Office in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The forum was attended by the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Central Asia, Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Natalia Gherman, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea Khusniddin Sharofiddinov, UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan Helena Fraser, Deputy Head of the OSCE Project Coordinator Office in Uzbekistan Hans-Ulrich Im, heads of diplomatic missions, management and representatives of relevant ministries, departments and analytical structures of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

During the event, issues of strengthening regional dialogue and cooperation in the water-ecological sphere in Central Asia were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the adoption, on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a special resolution of the UN General Assembly, declaring the Aral Sea region "a zone of environmental innovations and technologies".

Opening the event, Director of the International Institute of Central Asia Anvar Nasirov noted that in recent years, fundamental positive changes have taken place in Central Asia, manifested in the progressive development of good-neighborly relations, multifaceted cooperation and strategic partnership.

These dynamics also had a positive effect on the interaction of the states of the region on water issues, thereby creating the preconditions for mutually beneficial and fruitful cooperation in the long term.

Today, all the countries of Central Asia already have cooperation mechanisms in a bilateral format, where current issues, future projects and promising areas of cooperation are discussed.

Progress is also being seen at multilateral venues. After almost a ten-year break, in 2018, the city of Turkmenbashi hosted a summit of the heads of the founding states of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.

Following this summit, the Presidents expressed their readiness to further improve the organizational structure and legal framework of IFAS in order to create an effective mechanism capable of responding to new challenges, as well as to fully ensure mutually beneficial cooperation in the implementation of projects and programs aimed at improving the Aral Sea region and basin of the Aral Sea.

Against the background of positive regional trends, the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution declaring the Aral Sea region a "zone of environmental innovations and technologies" was a vivid confirmation of the importance the world community attaches to the implementation of joint measures to overcome the consequences of the Aral Sea crisis and stabilize the ecological situation in the region. It is noteworthy that the Aral Sea region became the first region to which the General Assembly granted such a status.

The co-authors of the resolution initiated by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan were over 50 states, including all the states of Central Asia - the strategic partners of our country - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

This once again demonstrated the solidarity and unity of approaches of the Central Asian states in solving urgent issues common to all countries of the region.

They expressed confidence that the international community will also support another initiative of Uzbekistan to declare the day of adoption of this important document - the International Day for the Protection and Restoration of Ecological Systems.

It was noted that today there is no other alternative to solving water and environmental issues, except for finding a balance of interests and achieving a regional agreement, which is undoubtedly facilitated by the increasingly strengthening constructive dialogue of the Central Asian countries aimed at deepening cooperation between our fraternal countries and peoples, and also in strengthening the bonds of friendship and good neighborliness.

The head of the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan Yan Khladik congratulated the participants on the adoption, at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, of a special resolution of the UN General Assembly declaring the Aral Sea region "a zone of environmental innovations and technologies". In his opinion, the document will allow to consolidate efforts and ensure consistency of projects of specialized agencies, funds and programs of the UN system in support of the priorities of regional cooperation, integration and sustainable development.

Speaking at the plenary session, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Central Asia, Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Natalia Gherman also congratulated the audience on the unanimous adoption by the UN General Assembly of a special resolution on declaring the Aral Sea region a zone of environmental innovations and technologies. The question of finding and implementing new modern methods and approaches to solving the Aral Sea problem is more urgent than ever.

Undoubtedly, the adoption of this resolution will contribute to the formation of the necessary conditions and incentives for attracting investments in the development and implementation of high-tech innovations, environmentally friendly, energy and water-saving technologies, and the integrated application of the principles of a "green" economy. It is necessary to build up research activities and prevent further desertification and ecological migration, develop ecotourism and implement other measures.

Climate change issues remain one of the priorities of the UN. "We intend to strengthen work in this direction in Central Asia, currently a new water project for the region for 2022-2025 is being prepared, which will include new priority areas for cooperation in the water sector."

Separately, the head of UNRCCA drew attention to the need to actively involve women in decision-making processes in the field of water use. In Central Asia, women are the main users of this precious resource.

At the end of 2020, the Center launched a new regional initiative - the Platform for Dialogue between Women Leaders of the Five Countries of the Region and Afghanistan, which will work to empower women, responsible leaders, to ensure regional peace, security and sustainable development.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea Khusniddin Sharofiddinov, the dynamics of recent years shows the desire of the countries of the region for integration and a coordinated solution of existing issues in the water and energy sector. Undoubtedly, this will contribute to a more efficient management of available water and energy resources to ensure water security, economic growth, improve the well-being of the population and achieve sustainable development.

In this context, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea is a unique organization uniting all five countries of the region. Despite the many difficulties of the transition period, IFAS was able to sustainably function and solve complex water and environmental issues in the region.

The summit of the heads of states-founders of the IFAS held in Turkmenistan in 2018 for the first time in a long time confirmed the interest of all countries in the region in preserving and transforming the Fund, taking into account the current realities.

Tajikistan, chairing the IFAS, takes all necessary measures aimed at increasing the authority and role of the Fund in matters of cooperation in the water-ecological sphere of the region.

In this regard, the Fund is consistently working on its modernization and preparation for the next meeting of the Regional Working Group on the inventory of the legal framework and reform.

UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan Helena Fraser highly appreciated the adoption of the resolution by the UN General Assembly on the Aral Sea region.

“The Aral Sea crisis is a really important model of what can go wrong. At the same time, we can look from a positive point of view on how to find a solution to the crisis, to move from tragedy to opportunities for cooperation and development. "

In this context, it is very important to hold such events, where partners can exchange views on pressing issues and work out consolidated solutions.

H. Fraser also noted the UN’s readiness to provide all-round support to initiatives aimed at developing cooperation in Central Asia and regulating the use of transboundary water resources.

Hans-Ulrich Im, Deputy Head of the Office of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan, thanked the organizers for the invitation and noted that water conservation and environmental protection are an integral part of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to ensuring security, stability and peace.

According to the foreign diplomat, regional cooperation is extremely important for ensuring sustainable development and turning Central Asia into a region of good-neighborliness, stability and prosperity.

In this regard, the OSCE fully supports initiatives on environmental security and rational use of water and energy resources, expresses its readiness to consider further prospects for cooperation and provide all possible support for the successful achievement of joint goals.

First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Akram Nematov stressed that only through joint efforts based on the principles of integrated and integrated water resources management, the countries of the region can achieve concrete results. Significant events on this path were the plans announced at the highest level for the joint construction of two hydroelectric power plants by Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on the Zarafshan River. The Uzbek side expressed its readiness to comprehensively consider the possibility of participating in the construction of hydraulic structures in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Separately, the need to establish contacts with neighboring Afghanistan was noted. Kabul is interested in establishing contacts with Central Asian countries on water use issues.

During his speech, Vice Minister of Ecology and Water Resources of Kazakhstan Serik Kozhaniyazov proposed to consolidate the commitment of the countries of the region to joint management of water resources, to determine the permanent location of IFAS, to solve the issue of automation of accounting for the use of water resources of the rivers in the region. In this regard, Kazakhstan is ready to take all the necessary measures for the full interaction of all Central Asian states within the framework of IFAS.

The head of the water use department of the State Committee of Turkmenistan, Beigeldi Baydzhanov, noted that today the countries of the Central Asian region are faced with the need to find ways to minimize and, if possible, prevent water problems associated with a shortage and change in the water regime of water resources.

According to him, the heads of states of Central Asia demonstrate the greatest political will and statesmanship in such a delicate and vital area as water relations, preserving the age-old traditions of friendship, mutual understanding, partnership direct this high potential to the creation and prosperity of the countries of the region.

During the panel discussions, a thorough exchange of views took place on the approaches of the countries of the region to strengthening regional cooperation in the water sector, as well as on the state and prospects of IFAS activities.

All the participants of the event agreed that in recent years there has been a significant breakthrough in regional cooperation in all areas, and water-ecological problems are no exception.

At the end, the conference participants thanked the organizers of the event for providing a dialogue platform for discussing topical issues of water use in the context of climate change and its impact on Central Asia.