Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Attending the recent Samarkand International Climate Forum, UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean highlighted the need for strong political will, effective partnerships, and scaled up financing to avoid irreversible climate repercussions. All three traits were evident in Central Asia.
This was embodied by the host of the Forum President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, the presence of the Presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and of the European Council, Antonio Costa, the participation of the Presidents of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow, as well as of multilateral development banks, namely the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and of UN high-level officials.
“Many of UNECE’s norms, standards and conventions provide practical tools to support Central Asian countries’ climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, to leverage financing, and to strengthen collaboration. In particular, UNECE’s cross-cutting theme for 2025-2027 – climate action and resilient infrastructure for a sustainable future – supports not only connectivity, infrastructure development, and economic growth, but ensures that they all fit hand in hand with strong, smart, and economically viable climate action,” Ms. Molcean noted.
This goal can be achieved across a variety of sectors by harmonizing the existing work of Central Asian countries and UNECE – such as in transportation where the States participating in the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) adopted the roadmap for digitalization of the Trans-Caspian Corridor, which can be streamlined with the UNECE decarbonization strategy for inland transport to ensure transit time and emissions are simultaneously reduced, the Executive Secretary explained.
Likewise, in the field of energy, UNECE’s latest report on Modelling a Resilient and Integrated Energy System for Central Asia demonstrates the savings and decarbonization potential of fully interconnecting the region. The most ambitious scenario provides for annual savings in electricity of up to USD 1.4 billion by 2050, which is a substantial amount for decarbonization efforts.
Finally, the UNECE-hosted Aarhus Convention empowers the public to participate in environmental decision-making and access information and justice in environmental matters. The recent accession of Uzbekistan makes all five Central Asian nations party to the treaty. It will help Uzbekistan to strengthen environmental governance, build resilience to disasters, facilitate the transition towards a green, digital and circular economy, and fulfill many other international commitments.
Furthermore, this milestone builds on other areas of Uzbekistan’s leadership in the region and beyond, such as the recent co-chairmanship of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region (2-3 April 2025).
These issues, especially the implementation of regional and national projects, and advancing SPECA initiatives, were in the focus of the Executive Secretary’s meeting with President Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, which took place on the margins of the Forum.
While in Uzbekistan the Executive Secretary also attended the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Tashkent, where she stressed UNECE’s policies and partnerships to advance social development and justice, namely inclusive and equitable economic policies, social inclusion, energy transition, and digital transformation.
Photo credit: Press-service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan