First IUCN Central Asia Office Opened in Tashkent
On June 2, the official opening ceremony of the first regional office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Central Asia was held at the Markaziy Osiyo atrof-muhit va iqlim o‘zgarishini o‘rganish universiteti in Tashkent.
During the event, a cooperation agreement was signed between the O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Ekologiya, atrof-muhitni muhofaza qilish va iqlim o‘zgarishi vazirligi and IUCN. The agreement aims to enhance the effectiveness of the office and strengthen regional cooperation.
The high-level ceremony brought together representatives of Central Asian governments, international organizations, academia, and civil society. The new office will support biodiversity conservation and climate resilience across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Minister Aziz Abdukhakimov emphasized Uzbekistan’s ongoing environmental reforms and highlighted the strategic importance of hosting the office at Green University.
IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar noted that the office will strengthen collaboration on nature conservation and sustainable development in the region.
