Ashgabat, December 10 | ORIENT. The international conference "The Role of Women in Modern Society: Developing International Cooperation to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals" was held in Avaza. It was chaired by Oguljahan Atabayeva, Vice President for Clinical Activities at the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Care.

The conference, organized by the Government of Turkmenistan and the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Care, jointly with the UN, reaffirmed neutral Turkmenistan's commitment to humanistic principles and its active role in the global dialogue.

The conference featured a high concentration of high-level participants who affirmed the relevance of the Turkmen agenda:

— International Organizations: UN Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva Tatyana Valovaya, as well as Turkmenistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Aksoltan Atayeva, participated in the plenary session. The United Nations' participation at such a high level underscored the institutional support for the initiatives under discussion.

— Regional Women's Leadership: Delegates representing all neighboring Central Asian and Caucasian states attended the forum: Saida Mirziyoyeva (Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan), Leyla Aliyeva (Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azerbaijan), Dilrabo Mansuri Saidullo (Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan), as well as ministers from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

— Global Dialogue: The discussion was enriched by ministers from Malaysia, Eswatini, Qatar, representatives of the All-China Women's Federation and the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, as well as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Sao Tome and Principe.

All participants unanimously praised Turkmenistan's achievements in gender equality and noted the country's role as a reliable platform for sharing experiences.

In her speech, Vice President of the Charitable Foundation Oguljahan Atabayeva emphasized that the main idea of ​​the conference concept is that modern women are the key link connecting family, education, medicine, the humanitarian sphere, and social development.

"If you want to build peace for decades, raise children; if you want to build peace for generations, support women," was the message echoed at the conference, reflecting the deep essence of the discussion. Spanish playwright Lope de Vega also cited the idea that "respecting women is a duty that every honest person must obey from birth."

The discussion was given a particularly emotional edge by a personal message from the Vice President for Medical Affairs at the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation, who shared observations from her daily work:

"Working with children every day, I see that their strength of spirit sometimes, if not always, surpasses that of adults. They teach us courage, patience, and purity of thought. They remind us that the job of adults is not to complicate the world, but to value, cherish, and protect it," Oguljahan Atabaeva emphasized. She added that it is women who most often fulfill this role – daily, without fanfare, but with tremendous inner strength."

The Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Foundation implements a number of large-scale programs to protect the health of mothers and children, create child-friendly schools and hospitals (in collaboration with UNICEF), and provides international humanitarian support to regions affected by crises (from Turkey to Palestine, Ukraine, and Afghanistan). The Foundation pursues a fundamental mission: every child has the right to health, care, protection, and hope.

The significance of this Dialogue was particularly noted as a unique platform where women's leadership is becoming a tangible factor in regional trust. According to Oguljahan Atabayeva, women in the region are "creators, mediators, and inspirers of peace," whose experience is valuable in working with parliamentarians and youth.

It was emphasized that during the International Year of Peace and Trust, the international agenda requires not only declarations but also the search for practical solutions that unite states.

Global initiatives were presented at the Conference, which the Turkmen side is ready to develop jointly with its partners, Oguljahan Atabayeva, Vice President of the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Care said. These proposals are intended to strengthen the international humanitarian consensus:

Global Pact for Children's Health

This initiative is based on the principle "Every child has the right to health." The pact aims to create an international platform for: establishing a common framework for the responsibility of states and international organizations for children's health; establishing universal standards for accessible pediatric healthcare, including vaccinations and treatment of critical illnesses; and creating a mechanism for sharing technologies and medical innovations to ensure that cutting-edge solutions are available to developing countries.

The initiative aims to unite the efforts of the UN, UNICEF, WHO, and governments to build a humanitarian consensus on the unacceptability of inequalities in access to health for children.

International Network of Women's and Children's Support Centers "Humanitarian Hubs"

The proposal aims to create a flexible global infrastructure for rapid response in crisis zones (conflicts, natural disasters, migration flows).

— Hub functionality: Providing not only humanitarian aid (food, temporary accommodation), but also medical, psychological, educational, and legal support to women and children.

— Strategic vision: "Humanitarian Hubs" can become a unified international coordination platform that makes support for women and children systemic rather than episodic, forming a global humanitarian framework capable of quickly responding to challenges.

The conference confirmed that Turkmenistan's policy of permanent neutrality (enshrined in the UN) serves as an ideal basis for promoting a culture of peace and trust in practical matters.

Women's Leadership as a Trust Factor: Participants emphasized that women's leadership (including through the Central Asian Women's Dialogue) is becoming a tangible factor in regional trust and a mechanism for strengthening interstate cooperation. Oguljahan Atabayeva concluded that women are "peacemakers, bearers of humanism, and the backbone of sustainable development."

A significant practical outcome of the Forum was the signing of a comprehensive package of bilateral documents (Work Plans and Memoranda) between Turkmenistan and the United Nations (UNICEF, UNFPA). These documents cover long-term cooperation (2026–2030) in virtually all areas of public administration.

— Legislation and Justice: Work plans of the Mejlis, Supreme Court, and Prosecutor General's Office with the UN to promote gender equality.

— Social Sphere: Cooperation between the Ministries of Labor, Education, Internal Affairs, and Defense with UNICEF within the framework of the UNICEF Children's Fund Program.

— Development: Work plans were signed on sports, media, and statistics, aimed at strengthening youth participation mechanisms, promoting peace, and gender equality.

The international conference in Avaza not only strengthened Turkmenistan's humanitarian mission and its role in the UN as the initiator of the International Year of Peace and Trust, but also provided a concrete, long-term program of cooperation with international partners, encompassing all levels of the country's public life.

ORIENT