Baku, March 24, AZERTAC

On 22-24 March, the UN Water Conference is being held at the UN Headquarters, in New York. Among the 198 member countries of the Organization, Uzbekistan delegation also took part in the conference.

Member of Uzbekistan delegation, Saida Mirziyoyeva addressed the UN conference and delivered a speech about the consequences of the Aral tragedy, the large-scale work carried out by Uzbekistan to mitigate them, as well as the leadership of the country in uniting international efforts in this direction.

It was emphasized that the initiatives put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev received wide support at the international level, and in 2021 a UN Resolution was adopted declaring the Aral Sea region a zone of environmental innovations and technologies, and a little earlier, in 2018, the UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region was established. Moreover, in recent years, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, every time participating in high-level meetings of the United Nations, certainly raised the problem of the Aral Sea and put forward important initiatives.

Following her speech, Saida Mirziyoyeva called on the international community to continue supporting Uzbekistan’s efforts to mitigate the consequences of the Aral Sea tragedy, which is inextricably linked to global water problems.

All member countries and specialized agencies of the UN, with the participation of authoritative speakers, are considering the issues of uniting the world on the way to the Sustainable Development Goals until 2030 through the conservation of water resources, the importance of the seas and oceans in the well-being of our planet and global initiatives in this direction.

The international community gathered for such a conference for the first time after a 45-year break. After all, the issue is extremely relevant: by 2050, water shortages may affect 5 billion people on the planet. Uzbekistan also has something to say and offer on this issue. In this regard, the country has accumulated considerable experience. The Aral Sea, once the fourth largest in the world, is located on the territory of Uzbekistan, and its current fate is a matter that concerns not only us, but the entire international community.

On March 22, within the framework of the UN Water Conference, the presentation of the Aral Culture Summit project, initiated by the Art and Culture Development Foundation under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, took place. This is a new institution that will bring together the local and international community, leading scientists, architects, artists and designers. As part of the Aral Culture Summit, educational and exchange programs, scholarships and internships will be created that will motivate the younger generation to develop skills that contribute to the improvement of the situation in the region.