The event, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the National Committee of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Climate Change in cooperation with international partners, marked the launch of the operational phase of the Regional Environmental Performance Review (Regional EPR) for Central Asia.

Opening the event, Aziz Abdukhakimov, Adviser to the President of Uzbekistan and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, emphasized the importance of strengthening international cooperation, introducing green technologies, and expanding sustainable financing mechanisms to ensure environmental security and sustainable economic growth across the region.

According to Aziz Abdukhakimov, Central Asia is shaping a new architecture of environmental cooperation based on trust, scientific collaboration, and shared responsibility for the region’s sustainable future. Achieving these goals requires not only political dialogue but also a unified analytical framework, environmental monitoring systems, the development of green finance, and coordinated approaches to implementing joint climate initiatives.

Statements were also delivered by Yerlan Nysanbayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, and Bahodur Sheralizoda, Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of Tajikistan.

Paola Deda, Director of the Environment and Forestry Division at UNECE, highlighted the importance of the regional review as a practical mechanism for strengthening environmental governance, improving coordination, and promoting results-oriented cooperation among the countries of Central Asia.