Uzbekistan’s initiative was included in the final decision of COP16

Friday, 20 december 2024

For the first time in the history of Uzbekistan’s participation in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held on December 2-13, 2024, in Riyadh, the initiative of Uzbekistan, put forward by the President of the Republic, was included in the final decision of COP16. Samarkand Declaration on Sand and Dust Storms, presented at CRIC21 in Samarkand, was included in the COP16 outcome document, received official recognition, and was proposed for accession to all parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The negotiation process to include the initiative of Uzbekistan in the final decision of COP16 lasted for a long period within the framework of the conference, but despite this, the initiative was supported by a significant part of the 197 States parties to the Convention, which allowed the Parties to reach consensus.

For reference: Uzbekistan ratified the UN Convention to Combat Desertification on October 31, 1995, but for the first time in 29 years of participation in the conferences of the parties, it made a proposal to the decisions taken following the COP. This achievement underlines Uzbekistan’s commitment to combating desertification, land degradation, and the negative effects caused by climate change and also demonstrates the Republic’s clear position on the need to strengthen measures taken at the global level to combat sand and dust storms.

The Samarkand Declaration on Sand and Dust Storms emphasizes the importance of developing scientific research and data exchange, as well as establishing international and regional cooperation in this area. The document calls on countries to integrate strategies to combat sand and dust storms into national plans, develop early warning systems, and mobilize financial and technical resources to implement these measures.

The document focuses on the protection of ecosystems through sustainable land use, protective afforestation, and urban greening, as well as raising public awareness and strengthening the capacity of stakeholders.

Thus, Samarkand Declaration becomes an important international document uniting the efforts of the world community in solving the problem of sand and dust storms, and its inclusion in the COP16 results strengthens Uzbekistan’s position in this direction.