Regional Consultative Meeting on discussion of the establishment of the United Nations Special Programme for the Aral Sea Basin (UNSPAS) was held

From 30 November to 1 December 2024, the Regional Consultative Meeting of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on discussion of the establishment of the United Nations Special Programme for the Aral Sea Basin (UNSPAS) was held in Ashgabat.

The proposal to establish the UN Special Programme for the Aral Sea Basin countries was put forward in 2012 by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. At the 79th session of ESCAP in May 2023 in Bangkok, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, the Resolution of this Commission “Consideration of the modalities for the establishment of the United Nations Special Programme for the Aral Sea Basin” was unanimously adopted, on the basis of which this meeting was held.

The event was attended by representatives of ministries and agencies of Central Asian countries, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, UN specialized agencies, as well as specialists in the field of water resources, natural disasters and climate.

The goal of the meeting was to assess current progress and identify new opportunities for strengthening regional cooperation on water resources and natural disasters in the Aral Sea basin on the basis of the UN Special Programme for the Aral Sea.

The participants discussed conditions and formats for establishing the UN Special Programme for the Aral Sea Basin.

Based on the results of the meeting, further actions were determined. The adopted document will be presented at the 81st session of ESCAP, which will be held in Bangkok from 21 to 25 April 2025.