Turkmenistan’s youth at the forefront of climate initiatives

On 3 September 2024, ahead of the Conference of Youth (COY19) and the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, a meeting of the youth of Turkmenistan took place at the Turkmen State Agricultural Institute in Dashoguz.

The event was organized by the Government of Turkmenistan in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the Embassies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates in Turkmenistan.

The conference brought together young people from all over the region, providing them with a unique opportunity to discuss current environmental issues and to consider opportunities for youth participation in the battle against climate change.

The conference participants were young people aged 17 to 35 years old, young ambassadors of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), eco-activists, students, as well as representatives of UN agencies, the British Embassy in Turkmenistan and specialists from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.

The conference was held in the format of thematic sessions. Representatives of youth of Turkmenistan discussed the results of previous conferences. Among the topics covered were adaptation of agriculture, sustainable management of natural resources.

Based on the session topics, each group prepared proposals for inclusion in the preliminary version of the Youth Statement of Turkmenistan, which will be adopted at the end of a series of thematic conferences to be held in all regions of the country and will complete in Ashgabat.

As a result of the meetings, a Youth Statement will be adopted, expressing the wishes of the youth of Turkmenistan and reflecting their views on the UNFCCC processes, which will be presented at the Conference of Youth (COY19) in Baku and included in the official global position of YOUNGO at COP29.