Senior officials from across Central Asia gathered in Samarkand for a high-level ministerial meeting focused on strengthening regional cooperation for snow leopard conservation and climate-resilient mountain landscapes, ahead of the 20th Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP20).
Hosted by Uzbekistan’s National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change with support from UNDP, the meeting brought together representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as international partners. The discussions underscored the region’s growing leadership in biodiversity protection, sustainable wildlife management and climate-resilient development.
Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Environmental Issues, highlighted the urgency of joint efforts amid the «triple planetary crisis,» stressing that environmental challenges transcend borders and require coordinated responses.
UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Akiko Fujii noted that Central Asia is translating global commitments into «tangible action on the ground,» emphasizing that protecting snow leopards and mountain ecosystems is essential for the wellbeing of local communities.
Delegates reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding snow leopards, saiga antelope, kulan and Persian leopards — key indicator species for the region’s mountain, steppe and desert ecosystems. The meeting also stressed the need to accelerate the implementation of CITES obligations and other multilateral environmental agreements through measurable conservation actions.
The upcoming regional programme under the GEF-9 cycle is expected to prioritize habitat connectivity, ecosystem restoration, wildlife-friendly infrastructure, community-based conservation, and innovative financing tools such as biodiversity credits and trust funds. Strengthening cross-border monitoring and efforts to curb illegal wildlife trade will also be central pillars of the initiative.
UNDP reaffirmed its support in mobilizing diverse funding streams — including GEF, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and the Kunming Fund — to advance integrated conservation projects under its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan.
A BIOFIN exhibition showcased successful green finance solutions from around the world, highlighting opportunities for Central Asia to scale up nature-focused investment.
The meeting concluded with a call for aligned regional programming under GEF-9 to enhance transboundary cooperation, protect CITES-listed species and ensure resilient mountain landscapes. As Samarkand prepares to host CITES CoP20, Central Asian countries signaled their readiness to shift decisively from policy commitments to practical, measurable action.
