UN Secretary General to tour Central Asia
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres began a tour of Central Asian countries on June 29. According to the UN News Service, the route includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The visit will last until July 7. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that in each country, Guterres will familiarize himself with projects to combat climate change.
Turkmenistan joined the UN on March 2, 1992 as a new Independent State. Since then, the UN and Turkmenistan have had a strategic partnership in achieving its national priorities that are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Demonstrating a responsible and proactive approach to issues of regional and international cooperation, our country contributes an effective contribution to the consolidation of efforts to develop solutions to relevant tasks of the present. In this regard, particular importance is attached to multi-vector cooperation with the United Nations, of a strategic nature. Our country is the author of globally important initiatives enshrined in UNGA resolutions.
As is known, Statement of national position on climate change and environmental security, made by our highly esteemed President at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-28) in Dubai on December 1–2, 2023, was published and distributed on six official languages of the UN as an official document of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
According to the COP28 agenda, participants considered the results of the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and determined a further action plan that will guide the international community to achieve its goals. In addition, issues related to adaptation to climate change, overcoming its consequences, and such interrelated topics as ensuring environmental and food security, healthcare, green energy, rational use of natural resources, waste processing and disposal and others were discussed.
The Statement was published under the agenda items of the current session of the General Assembly “Protection of the global climate in the interests of current and future generations of humanity” and “Zone of peace, trust and cooperation in Central Asia.”
The document, in particular, declares Turkmenistan’s accession to the Global Methane Commitment and the creation, jointly with UNEP, of a legal framework for the opening of the UN Regional Center for Climate Change Technologies in Central Asia in Turkmenistan. Thus, Turkmenistan’s initiative to create a specialized UN center for a region with a population of almost 80 million, possessing unique natural resources and biodiversity, is now gaining real prospects.
In this regard, we will remind that, speaking at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, our deeply respected President noted that Turkmenistan considers participation in this Conference as a milestone event in promoting its international strategy on climate change. The determining factor in it is to ensure continuity and consistency in the implementation of the initiatives put forward by our country, starting with the UN Conference on Sustainable Development RIO+20, subsequent major forums, and today’s efforts of Turkmenistan
The National Climate Change Strategy adopted in 2012 is the starting point towards the full involvement of our State in the global climate agenda. The next logical step was Turkmenistan’s accession to the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2019, in this regard, a new version of the National Climate Change Strategy was approved. The document is inclusive and includes an expanded list of measures to adapt almost all key sectors of the economy and social sphere to new requirements.
As our highly respected President noted, at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, Turkmenistan expressed support for the initiative on the Global Methane Commitment and expressed interest in a detailed study of the document and participation in its implementation.
Taking into account the recommendations of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and with the active support of the UN Development Program, our country prepared and in May 2022 approved the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Turkmenistan to the Paris Climate Agreement. This strategic document provides to decline 20 percent gas emissions in greenhouse by 2030 relative to 2010 levels.
Globally important steps are taken in our country in the field of environmental protection and the scope of international cooperation is expanding. This is a clear confirmation of the great contribution of Turkmenistan for further consolidation of efforts in addressing key issues of the regional and global agenda, development of them joint responsible approaches based on goodwill, humanistic principles and creative partnership.
Ogulmaya ANNAGELDIEVA,
the 2nd year student of the Faculty of International Relations of the
Institute of International Relations of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.