On 21 October 2024, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat hosted a conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary since Turkmenistan acceded to the Aarhus Convention, a key UN document on access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters.

The conference brought together representatives of the Aarhus Centre in Turkmenistan and public organizations, national environmental experts and governmental officials from relevant ministries and agencies.

“As we celebrate this significant anniversary, I am pleased to highlight that Turkmenistan was the first Central Asian state to ratify the Aarhus Convention and commit to implementing provisions of this unprecedented environmental agreement,” said Olivera Zurovac-Kuzman, Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

The event presented the draft National Report on the Implementation of the Aarhus Convention in Turkmenistan and its provisions and discussed the main areas of Aarhus Centre’s activities.

A representative from the Aarhus Convention Secretariat, UNECE, focused on the role of the Aarhus Convention in promoting the principles of good environmental governance and sustainable development.

Representatives of the Aarhus Centre in Turkmenistan reflected on the role of the Aarhus Centre in promoting the Aarhus Convention and the main areas of their activities emphasizing the importance of their work aimed at promoting sustainable water management. Experiences of organizing environmental campaigns were also shared.

“We highly value our long-standing co-operation with the Aarhus Centre, hosted by the public organization ”Tebigy Kuwwat”, in supporting Turkmenistan in the implementation of the Aarhus Convention and promoting access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters,” added Zurovac-Kuzman.

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