Youth conference on climate change was held in Ashgabat

On September 16, 2024, the Government of Turkmenistan, in cooperation with the Office of the UN Permanent Coordinator, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Embassies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates in Turkmenistan and with the support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), held the final National Youth Conference on Climate Change.

The event was held at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and convened young participants from all over the region to discuss current environmental issues and explore opportunities for youth participation in climate actions.

The conference was attended by distinguished guests: Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan Gismet Fizuli oglu Gezalov, British Ambassador Stephen Conlon, UAE Ambassador Ahmed Al Hameli, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shlapachenko, Director of the program “EU for a Green Turkmenistan” Karolina Milov, as well as young SDG ambassadors, eco-activists, representatives of UNDP, UNICEF, FAO, the European Union, GIZ and specialists from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.

The Youth Conference on Climate Change, which was attended by more than 700 young people from all over Turkmenistan, was held on the threshold of the 19th Conference of Youth (COY19) and the 29th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The purpose of the conference was to raise awareness of younger generation about climate change, its impact on socio-economic development, environmental sustainability and biodiversity, as well as to develop common approaches to the implementation of innovative solutions that promote climate change adaptation and mitigation of its consequences.

This year, the conference encompassed the regions of Turkmenistan. Thus meetings were held in the cities of Dashoguz, Balkanabat, Mary, Turkmenabat and Buzmeyin etrap of the city of Ashgabat. Young SDG Ambassadors and eco-activists interacted with the youth, facilitating the exchange of ideas and giving the most active participants the opportunity to demonstrate their projects at the final conference.

After the opening ceremony, where the honorable guests of the Conference made opening remarks, the first session started, and the representatives of the Ozone Center made a presentation dedicated to the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. Then youth representatives presented the results of the conferences held in the velayats.

During the second session, participants were divided into working groups, each of which discussed various aspects of environmental challenges and possible solutions to them.

Experts and facilitators led the discussions, outlining the goals and expected outcomes of each session. Based on the results of the discussions, each group prepared its proposals for inclusion in the preliminary version of the Youth Statement of Turkmenistan.

At the final session, the leaders of each working group presented their proposals, which were included in the preliminary version of the Youth Roadmap for Climate Action. These proposals will be included in the final version of the Turkmenistan Youth Statement, which will be presented at COY19 and then at COP29.

The conference served as an important platform for expanding the opportunities of the youth of Turkmenistan to participate in processes aimed at resolving environmental challenges. The final Youth Climate Statement will reflect the collective vision of Turkmen youth and contribute to the implementation of the UNFCCC missions.