Inaugural meeting of the Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development of the Aral Sea region

More than 120 representatives from foreign missions to Uzbekistan, international financial institutions, UN agencies, international NGOs, private sector, and civil society organizations attended the meeting. The inaugural meeting is part of the coherent platform that the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region operates under the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Uzbekistan.

The Advisory Committee for the Sustainable Development of the Aral Sea region aims to support a coherent sustainable development approach for the region towards accelerating sustainable development and implementing the concept for the Aral Sea as a zone of ecological innovation and green technologies.

Mr. Sardor Umurzakov, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan highlighted that “To achieve the sustainability of the Aral Sea region it is imperative  to  join our efforts to utilize an inclusive, transparent, and effective mechanism that will enable better coordination.”

Ms. Helena Fraser, UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan and Co-Chair of the MPHSTF Steering Committee underscored that the “United Nations believe that many bilateral partners, IFIs, and other development partners are committed to joining hands to ensure a coherent pathway to sustainable development  aligned to the Government’s vision  in support of evidence, data-driven and system-based approach to investments for sustainable development in the Aral Sea region.”

During the meeting, representatives of  international organization and diplomatic missions such the European Delegation, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Israel, the United Kingdom, and Kuwait expressed their willingness to support interventions on sustainable development in the Aral Sea region with the Government of Uzbekistan and the United Nations.

Participants of the Advisory Committee agreed to establish two working groups and a technical-level working group, comprised of the members of the Advisory Committee.

Working groups will:

focus on sustainable investments, guide and oversee the systems innovation approach for sustainable development of the Aral Sea region, building on Uzbekistan’s sustainable development and poverty reduction strategies, as well as other relevant national and regional development priorities;

strengthen the visibility of the Aral Sea region to ensure raising awareness of the international community about the situation in the Aral Sea region as well as effectively communicating the results of joint initiatives. 

Technical group will focus on data and assessments to provide evidence and rationale for portfolio analysis and investments.

For information

The UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region in Uzbekistan was launched at the UN headquarters in New York on November 27, 2018. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan has approved the Resolution “On measures to support the activities of the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region under the auspices of the United Nations”, which calls for a number of practical measures to create a favorable institutional, legal and financial environment to ensure the effective functioning of the Fund, as of January 8, 2019.

More detailed information on the activities of the UN MPHSTF is available on the official website of the Fund http://www.aral.mptf.uz/