Central Asian and South Caucasus countries sign Silk Road Declaration

Central Asian and South Caucasus countries have signed the Silk Road Declaration on human mobility in the context of climate change on the sidelines of COP31 in Antalya.

According to Report, citing Uzbekistan's National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, the document was signed at a high-level event held with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The event was attended by Aziz Abdukhakimov, Adviser to the President of Uzbekistan on Environmental Issues and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change; ministers and senior officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan; Rania Sharshur, IOM Director for Climate Action; as well as representatives of international organisations and development partners.

The Silk Road Declaration aims to strengthen regional dialogue and coordination on climate-induced migration and human displacement, enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities and develop joint approaches to addressing the consequences of climate change while taking each country's national priorities into account.

Discussions focused on the impact of climate change on human mobility, livelihoods and the resilience of local communities. Rising temperatures, melting glaciers, water scarcity, desertification, land degradation and increasingly frequent extreme weather events pose additional risks to people across Central Asia and the South Caucasus, potentially triggering forced displacement and altering migration patterns.

Participants emphasized that strengthening climate resilience required investment in sustainable livelihoods, improved water resource management, ecosystem restoration and the development of social protection mechanisms.

Particular attention was also paid to an initiative put forward by the President of Uzbekistan at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly to develop a Global Framework for International Cooperation on Climate Mobility.

The regional declaration is intended to support the advancement of this initiative, facilitate the exchange of experience and integrate human mobility issues into national climate adaptation plans, disaster risk reduction strategies and sustainable development policies.