At the Regional Environmental Summit (RES) in Astana on April 22, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan and the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, convened a high-level plenary session titled “Central Asia Initiative – Harmony with Nature for Sustainable Development of the Region,” UNDP Kazakhstan reported.
The session brought together representatives of the governments of Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as international organizations and development partners to launch a regional initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on biodiversity conservation and advancing coordinated action.
A key outcome of the session was the signing of the Regional Cooperation Declaration, reaffirming the commitment of Central Asian countries to strengthen regional collaboration on biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use.
The Declaration envisages the development of an Umbrella Programme and Action Plan, as well as a regional resource mobilization plan. These steps aim to support the implementation of commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and other multilateral environmental agreements. The Declaration and its implementation documents will be presented at the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Armenia.
The event brought together representatives of UN agencies and international organizations, including Haoliang Xu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of UNDP, and Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Participants reaffirmed their readiness to support Central Asian countries in advancing a shared regional environmental agenda.
The adoption of the Regional Declaration aligns with Kazakhstan’s national priorities in biodiversity conservation. In 2025, the country adopted its Biodiversity Conservation Concept and Action Plan for 2026–2035, reflecting a sustained commitment to integrating environmental priorities into national development and strengthening international cooperation.
Yerlan Nyssanbayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, stated: “A key outcome of the session was the signing of the Regional Cooperation Declaration, reaffirming the commitment of Central Asian countries to strengthen regional collaboration on biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.”
The session also highlighted priority areas for further cooperation, including strengthening transboundary collaboration, enhancing synergies across climate, biodiversity and land agendas, and expanding technical and financial support. International partners confirmed their readiness to support the countries in implementing agreed actions.
