National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

During the meeting, Ban Ki-moon expressed great interest in the wide-ranging environmental and climate reforms being carried out under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including various projects in the Aral Sea region. He showed particular interest in the initiative to green the dried-up seabed of the Aral Sea, covering an area of 2 million hectares, as well as the nationwide "Yashil Makon" ("Green Space") project, which aims to increase green spaces to 30% by 2030.

The chair thanked Uzbekistan for its leadership in sustainable development and noted the country’s pioneering role as the first in Central Asia to join the Global Green Growth Institute. According to Ban Ki-moon, Uzbekistan’s membership served as an important catalyst for other countries in the region to follow suit.

At the conclusion of the meeting, in recognition of his contributions to advancing the environmental agenda, Aziz Abdukhakimov awarded Ban Ki-moon the honorary badge “Tabiat Himoyachisi” ("Defender of Nature”).

The meeting marked yet another step in the strengthening of Uzbekistan’s international cooperation in the areas of environmental protection and climate change mitigation.