Täzelikler

The successful visit of the Presidentof Turkmenistan to the United Statesof America and his speech from therostrum of the UN General Assemblyon the occasion of the 80th anniversaryof the founding of the United Nationsare further evidence of the growingsuccess of our country’s initiatives todevelop friendly and fraternal relations,strengthen peace, trust and ensuresustainable development in the regionand in the world. The sustainable development,environmental safety and climatechange are currently among the prioritystrategic directions of Turkmenistan.From the high rostrum of the reputableorganization, our Esteemed Presidenthas put forward new initiatives onenvironmental issues that are in thespotlight of the international community.In particular, it was noted thatTurkmenistan is taking the initiative toestablish a regional centre for combatingdesertification in Central Asia. Theestablishment of such a centre willhelp consolidate regional opportunities,strengthen cooperation in the field ofenvironmental protection and make asignificant contribution to achievingthe Sustainable Development Goals,including adaptation to climate changeand the conservation of terrestrialecosystems. Currently, desertificationis one of the global environmental andsocio-economic problems and is definedby the UN Convention to CombatDesertification as land degradation inarid, semi-arid and humid zones due tonumerous impacts, climate change andhuman activities. The United Nations EnvironmentProgramme estimates that 69 percentof the world’s arid areas have beenaffected by desertification. On theother hand, the Central Asian region ischaracterized by a common cultural andhistorical development and forms anarid and semi-arid zone with significanttransboundary desertification problems.In this context, this region is amongthe most vulnerable to the effects ofclimate change. Turkmenistan is a partyto the United Nations Convention toCombat Desertification and fulfills its obligations to implement it. Inaccordance with the provisions ofthe Convention, national action plansto combat desertification have beendeveloped, and a regional action planto combat desertification in CentralAsian countries has been developedand adopted. Since desertification anddrought are cross-border issues, jointaction is needed to combat them. It isnecessary to ensure the relationshipwith other international conventionsand relevant legal instruments, as wellas regional and global initiatives tocombat desertification and drought. Inthis regard, and in order to coordinateactions to combat desertification andland degradation in the region, as wellas considering that the restoration andconservation of desert ecosystems is animportant issue, Turkmenistan proposesto establish a Regional Centre forCombating Desertification for CentralAsia and Neighboring Countries, whichwill help to combine opportunities andexpand cooperation in the environmentalfield. The specific proposals in the fieldof ecology put forward by President ofTurkmenistan at the session of the UNGeneral Assembly on the occasion ofits 80th anniversary aim the Turkmenscientists and specialists at furthersuccessful work on environmentalprotection and preservation of the naturalresources of our country.