Uzbekistan and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have solidified their commitment to environmental conservation by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum (RCF) for Europe, North, and Central Asia. The event was hosted in Bruges, Belgium, where Deputy Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, Iskandar Kutbiddinov, represented Uzbekistan.
The memorandum aims to enhance collaboration on various environmental initiatives, including the restoration of degraded ecosystems and the protection of biodiversity in Uzbekistan. As part of the agreement, a grant of $1.1mn has been allocated for the project focused on land use and ecosystem restoration.
During the forum, Deputy Minister Kutbiddinov met with IUCN’s Director General Grethel Aguilar, along with Boris Erg and Oliver Avramovski, directors of the IUCN Regional Offices for Europe and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, respectively. The discussions highlighted Uzbekistan's recent accession to the IUCN and the country's active role in international environmental policies.
Dr. Aguilar expressed gratitude for Uzbekistan's dedication to environmental protection and invited her to attend the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan in late 2025.
The meeting also focused on Uzbekistan's successful hosting of summits, including the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) in Samarkand earlier this year. Dr. Aguilar praised the country's ecological and tourism potential, reinforcing the importance of ongoing collaborations.
To further enhance IUCN's activities in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, the parties discussed strategies to increase the effectiveness of grant projects, expand the project portfolio, and mobilize additional funding from the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund. The establishment of an IUCN office in Tashkent was also emphasized as a crucial step in accelerating conservation efforts in the region.
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