On May 18, at the plenary meeting of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, a special resolution proposed by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev was unanimously adopted on declaring the Aral Sea region as a zone of environmental innovations and technologies, the press service of the Foreign Ministry.
The resolution was co-authored by about 60 states, in which, the UN General Assembly declares its support for regional events and initiatives aimed at improving the environmental, social, economic and demographic situation in the Aral Sea region.
The document refers to the promotion of research and advisory activities for the restoration and improvement of the environment, the conservation of natural resources and improvement of the quality of life of the people of the region.
The resolution also emphasizes the importance of intensifying regional cooperation in the implementation of joint measures to overcome the consequences of the Aral Sea crisis and stabilize the ecological situation in the region.
The General Assembly also calls on all stakeholders to conduct joint interdisciplinary research, develop and implement environmentally friendly technologies, promote sustainable inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic growth and the use of energy and water saving technologies.
The document also reflects UN support for the creation of the Aral Sea International Innovation Center under the President of Uzbekistan and the establishment under the auspices of the UN of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea region.
The Aral Sea region became the first region to which the General Assembly granted the status of a zone of environmental innovations and technologies, the Foreign Ministry noted. The document should allow to consolidate efforts and ensure coherence of programs and projects of specialized agencies, funds and programs of the UN system in support of the priorities of regional cooperation, integration and sustainable development.
For the first time, Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the initiative to declare the Aral Sea region a zone of environmental innovations and technologies at a meeting of the heads of the founding states of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea in August 2018. He noted that this decision will help by the joint efforts of the countries of the region to create conditions for attracting foreign investment in the development and implementation of environmentally friendly technologies, the integrated implementation of the principles of a "green" economy, environmentally friendly, energy and water saving technologies, prevention of desertification and environmental migration; development of ecotourism and implementation of other measures.
In October 2019, in Nukus (Karakalpakstan), an international high-level conference "Aral Sea Region - a zone of environmental innovations and technologies" was held, at which the government of Uzbekistan and the UN agreed on a draft special resolution.
