26 November 2013
UNECE, UNDP Present Recommendations on Sustainable Development in Central Asia
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Participants discussed recommendations for enhancing and strengthening cooperation on the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development of Central Asia (ICSD) at a regional meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

An ICSD Task Force, facilitated by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), prepared the recommendations.

UNDP UNECE21 November 2013: Participants discussed recommendations for enhancing and strengthening cooperation on the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development of Central Asia (ICSD) at a regional meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan. An ICSD Task Force, facilitated by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), prepared the recommendations.

A strengthened, proactive ICSD is critical for successfully implementing the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) outcomes in Central Asia, Andrey Vasilyev, UNECE, told participants. He hoped the recommendations would “start a substantive dialogue between ICSD, relevant UN agencies and programmes and the donor community.”

Participants recommended, inter alia: updating the Regional Environmental Action Plan for Central Asia to align it with Rio+20 outcomes; improving the Plan’s implementation; and strengthening financing for ICSD meetings and activities, including through regular donor coordination by the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (EC IFAS).

The ICSD Task Force is expected to finalize the recommendations based on the meeting outcomes and country feedback submitted to ICSD.

The Germany Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) supported the meeting, which took place on 20 November 2013 under UNECE’s ‘Regional Dialogue and Cooperation on Water Resources management (WRM) in Central Asia’ programme. ICSD is a body of IFAS tasked with coordinating regional cooperation on environment and sustainable development in Central Asia, including implementing a regional sustainable development strategy and environmental commitments with a transboundary component. [UNECE Press Release] [IISD RS Story on Initiation of Task Force]

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