President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan addressed the participants of the fourth traditional Samarkand Forum on Human Rights, highlighting the urgent ecological challenges facing the planet. The event gathered representatives from numerous international organizations and experts in the field of human rights.
In his opening remarks, President Mirziyoyev warmly welcomed the attendees, emphasizing the critical ecological situation exacerbated by global climate change.
“Due to global climate change, an acute ecological situation has arisen on our planet,” President Mirziyoyev voiced.
He pointed out several pressing issues such as drinking water shortages, environmental pollution, soil erosion, severe dust and sandstorms, loss of biodiversity, and declining agricultural productivity. These problems are intensifying globally, with particularly severe impacts in Central Asia, where temperature increases are occurring at twice the global average, compounding the ongoing Aral Sea crisis.
"The environmental crisis has become the main obstacle and threat to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals," President Mirziyoyev stated. "Problems related to poverty are increasing globally, and ensuring human rights to health, clean water, food, and housing is in jeopardy. Vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, the elderly, women, and children, are disproportionately affected."
Mirziyoyev stressed the need for international cooperation to mitigate the damage caused by climate change, urging countries to take collective and effective measures. He invoked the principles of the Paris Agreement, highlighting the obligation of states to respect, promote, and protect human rights while addressing climate change.
The president also detailed Uzbekistan's domestic efforts to combat environmental degradation. The new version of the country's Constitution includes provisions to strengthen the right to a comfortable environment and mandates state responsibilities to improve, restore, and protect the environment.
Mirziyoyev outlined several initiatives, including the transition to a green economy and achieving carbon neutrality. Uzbekistan aims to increase its renewable energy capacity to 40% by 2030 and is planting 1bn saplings as part of the "Yashil Makon” (Green Nation) project. Additionally, forests have been established over 2mn hectares in the dried-up bed of the Aral Sea.
International support for Uzbekistan's efforts was also highlighted. The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted resolutions such as "Turning the Aral Sea Region into an Area of Ecological Innovations and Technologies" and "Central Asia in the Face of Environmental Problems: Strengthening Regional Unity for Sustainable Development and Prosperity."
In his address, President Mirziyoyev called for the development and promotion of a new United Nations General Assembly resolution focused on protecting human rights in the context of combating climate change's adverse effects in Central Asia. He expressed confidence that the forum participants would generate practical proposals to stabilize the global ecological situation and safeguard human rights.
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