The speech of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 80th anniversary session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, 2025, further enhanced the prestige of our country and was dedicated to the most pressing geopolitical, economic, educational, social, and environmental problems facing the world community. The head of our state specifically addressed the increasingly acute environmental problems of climate change, water scarcity, and climate migration, putting forward concrete initiatives to address them.
"In particular, the President emphasized that the negative consequences of the Aral Sea's desiccation are closely linked to the fate of humanity and stated that efforts to restore this region are continuing consistently. In recent years, salt-tolerant desert plants have been planted on 2 million hectares of the dried seabed, creating extensive green spaces. The plan to cover 80 percent of this area with green spaces by 2030 is of great importance in strengthening environmental security.
It is worth noting that the establishment of the Aral Sea International Innovation Center, at the initiative of the President, is one of the practical steps in this direction. In 2021, at the UN General Assembly, the initiative to declare the Aral Sea region a zone of ecological innovations and technologies was put forward and approved by all countries. These decisions demonstrate Uzbekistan's special attention to the Aral Sea problem and its support from the international community.
Currently, the Aral Sea International Innovation Center is carrying out practical work in cooperation with state programs and international partners. The center is developing scientifically based technologies for planting, propagating, and long-term storage of desert plants in a gene bank. Climate-resistant varieties are being adapted to local conditions. Moreover, innovative approaches are being introduced to the processes of combating desertification in the Aral Sea region. As a result of the center's activities, a seed gene pool has been established to preserve biodiversity, and scientific and practical projects have been launched to reduce soil salinity and improve living conditions for the population.
At the same time, the increasing scarcity of water resources was assessed as a serious threat to sustainable development. The President of our country put forward an initiative to hold a World Water Saving Forum in Uzbekistan, at the end of which it is planned to adopt a special "road map" aimed at introducing innovative technologies to overcome the global water crisis.
In this regard, the center is conducting various scientific research, implementing water-saving technologies in the local agricultural system, studying renewable water sources, and exchanging experiences with international experts.
Over the past period, the Center has established effective cooperation with a number of international and local organizations, as well as research institutes, in the process of conducting scientific research and implementing projects. In particular, agreements and memorandums of cooperation have been signed with more than 70 foreign and local organizations, and more than 20 scientific, practical, and innovative projects are being implemented. These projects cover alternative green energy, aquaculture, intensive horticulture, the cultivation of medicinal plants, resource-saving technologies, and social programs. Each of the implemented projects is aimed at creating long-term solutions for the Aral Sea region.
Among the international partners are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Center for Biological Agriculture in the Context of Salinization (ICBA, UAE), the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (China), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and other reputable organizations.
"The increasing forced migration of the population due to climate change is another major threat facing humanity. It was particularly emphasized that there are still no clear international mechanisms in this area. In this regard, our President put forward an initiative to adopt a Global Pact based on broad international cooperation to address this issue.
These initiatives put forward by our President are of not only national but also global significance, and all of them serve our common future. At the same time, the scientific and practical work being carried out by the Aral Sea International Innovation Center will serve to ensure the consistent implementation of these initiatives and their practical effectiveness. The Aral Sea International Innovation Center, in its future plans, intends to further expand the scope of international partnership and introduce innovative eco-technologies, including anti-desertification measures and smart agricultural solutions, to ensure environmental sustainability.
The President's initiatives and proposals concerning the ongoing restoration efforts in the Aral Sea region, the Water Forum initiative, and the Global Covenant on Climate Migration are important steps towards the sustainable development of the global community. Most importantly, the President's speech at the UN General Assembly was met with great interest by the international community and further strengthened Uzbekistan's reputation as a leading country in initiating initiatives.
