Tashkent to host international conference on water diplomacy in Central Asia

The event is organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, in partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources and the National Research University TIIAME, with support from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the International Water Management Institute, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).

This unique platform will bring together over 100 participants from more than 10 countries, and for the first time, will unite leading experts from all Aral Sea basin countries. Participants will include specialists from strategic think tanks and water management authorities of Central Asia, Afghanistan, as well as countries across Asia, Europe, the CIS, and other regions.

The conference will also welcome representatives of diplomatic missions in Uzbekistan and delegations from around 15 international and regional organizations, including the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (SIC ICWC), the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), and others.

The main focus of the event will be water diplomacy, which in recent years has become a key tool for promoting effective water cooperation models in Central Asia. The forum is expected to feature engaging discussions and a productive exchange of views, culminating in a set of proposals and recommendations to enhance regional water cooperation.

The conference will make a significant contribution to developing conceptual foundations of water diplomacy, further strengthening the role of Central Asian countries as active contributors to the global water cooperation agenda.

The forum will be held at the National Research University TIIAME as part of celebrations marking the 90th anniversary of this renowned institution, and will bring together around 300 scholars from over 20 countries.