UNEP took the initiative to organise a training seminar for the five Central Asian countries to prepare for the upcoming Conference of the Parties of the Desertification Convention (UNCCD).

Together with the UNCCD Secretariat and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia, the training seminar took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 27 and 28 August.

In general, Central Asian countries are often not very visible in environmental treaty negotiations, including under the Desertification Convention. The training seminar equipped the National Focal Points of the five Central Asian countries with knowledge and basic negotiation skills for the 12th session of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties that will take place in October 2015.

The Central Asia sub-region is one of the areas of the world that are most affected by desertification. All five countries have developed national action programmes, and a sub-regional action programme was developed in 2003 in order to consolidate regional efforts.

From 2010 until now, the Central Asian UNCCD National Focal Point offices and ministries have experienced some quite significant management changes and restructuring, with new National Focal Points nominated that have no or little experience in the Convention process.

The training seminar therefore sought to support Central Asian countries in maintaining a close dialogue and boost their negotiating weight as a group at the COP talks.

For more details please contact: barbara.ruis@unep.org