Ashgabat Is Creating a Global Platform for the Year of International Law
Turkmenistan has begun to roll out a large-scale international program to implement the initiative approved by the UN General Assembly. At a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on August 1, a comprehensive strategy for preparations for 2028, which Ashgabat proposed as the Year of International Law, was presented.
The academic component of the new program will be the establishment of the Ashgabat International Platform "International Law" at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. This platform is intended to become a permanent scientific and diplomatic hub for the expert community, think tanks, and specialized UN institutions. The platform will host the annual Ashgabat International Legal Dialogue, as well as international schools for young legal professionals.
The culmination of the 2028 global program will be the World High-Level Forum on International Law, which will be held in Ashgabat under the auspices of the UN. Following this summit, it is planned to adopt the Ashgabat Declaration—a fundamental document affirming the rule of international law as a key condition for global security, peace, and sustainable development.
Turkmenistan will develop a practical schedule of key events in conjunction with the UN Secretariat and its specialized agencies. The opening ceremony of the Year of International Law will take place in early 2028 at UN Headquarters in New York, followed by high-level thematic events in Geneva, Vienna, and other major diplomatic capitals around the world.
To coordinate the entire range of political, diplomatic, expert, and educational measures, an Interdepartmental Working Commission is being established to approve the National Action Plan for 2026–2028. A separate document will be the National Concept "International Law and the Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan," which Ashgabat will distribute among UN member states as an official document of the 80th session of the General Assembly.
