Regional Ministerial Meeting of the Heads of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian Countries Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The Regional Ministerial Meeting of the Heads of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian countries was conducted on November 24-25, 2015 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The conference was attended by more than 60 delegates from the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan, diplomatic corps, UNDP, UNESCAP and other international development organizations. Mr. Zhasulan Jumashev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Civil Protection of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Taalaibek Temiraliev, States Secretary (First Deputy Minister) of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Khairiddin Abdurahimov, Chairman of the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Yusup Muhammetkulyev, Deputy Minister of Defense – head of the Chief Department on Civil Defense and Rescuing Operations of the Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan and Mr. Nadirjon Jumaev, Head of the organizational-operative department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Ms. Jacinta Barrins, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan participated in the conference.

The Regional Ministerial Conference was held under the aegis of the Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan and in collaboration with, financial and technical support of Istanbul Regional Hub of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNDP in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Back in 2013-2015, the following Regional Ministerial Conferense were conducted:

• First Regional Ministerial Conference “Regional Cooperation in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction in Central Asia”, October 16-18, 2013, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic (hosted by Ministry of Emergency Situations, organized by UNDP, GIZ, Embassy of Japan and JICA in the Kyrgyz Republic, Central Asia Risk Resilience Alliance and the organizing Committee of the Center for Disaster Response and Risk Reduction in Almaty, Kazakhstan)
• Second Regional Ministerial Conference of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian countries under the “Central Asia + Japan” Dialogue, September 18-19, 2014, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic (hosted by Ministry of Emergency Situations, organized by UNDP, Embassy of Japan and JICA in the Kyrgyz Republic)
• Regional Ministerial Meeting of Central Asia and South Caucasus on Disaster Risk Reduction, January 29-30, 2015, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic (hosted by Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, organized by UNISDR CASC, UNDP, Embassy of Japan and JICA in the Kyrgyz Republic).

In particular, the following outcomes were achieved within the frame of above conferences:

• Regional Forum of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian countries established
• The first session of above Forum was agreed to be conducted in 2015 in Turkmenistan as the next chair-country under the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue
• A working group of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian countries created
• Framework of cooperation on strengthening regional collaboration of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian and South Caucasus region adopted
• Joint Statement of Central Asian and South Caucasus region on post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction adopted

In light of the above agreements reached, the Regional Ministerial Meeting of the Heads of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian countries held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on November 24-25, 2015 was focused upon the following objectives:

• Develop and discuss Plan of Action for implementation of the Framework of cooperation on strengthening regional collaboration of Disaster Managaement Authorities of member-countries of the Regional Forum
• Develop and discuss the documents regulating the activity of the Forum of the Heads of Disaster Management Authorities of member-countries and the expert working group
• Discuss and achieve consensus on convening the Second session of the Regional Forum by the next country-member of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue
• Discuss the issues pertaining to communication of the results of the First session of the Regional Forum to the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue.

“Ashgabat Meeting” resulted in the following outcomes:

• Ashgabat Declaration adopted, which on its turn led to the bellow decisions:
  1. Plan of Action for implementation of the Framework of cooperation on strengthening regional collaboration of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian countries for 2016-17 adopted
  2. Regulating documents adopted such as:
     • Statute of the Regional Forum on strengthening regional cooperation in the sphere of disaster risk reduction – Council of the heads of Disaster Management Authorities
     • The Regulations of the expert working group of the Regional Forum of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian countries as the permanent working body
• Consensus achieved to conduct the next (second) session of the Regional Forum – Council of the Heads of Disaster Management Authorities of Central Asian countries in Tajikistan in 2016 as a country-members of “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue.
• Approve afore-mentioned points for the purposes of subsequent signing at the next session of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue.
• In his opening speech on November 24, 2015, Mr. Davron Bairamov, the Head of the Civil Defense of the Chief Department on Civil Defense and Rescuing of the Ministry of Defense mentioned that Plan of Action of Framework of cooperation on strengthening regional collaboration of Central Asian countries could reflect the mutually beneficial activies in one document, which might be implemented further both in bilateral and multiletaral manner depending on agreements reached between the relevant parties around particular activities.

In his opening speech on November 24, 2015, Mr. Davron Bairamov, the Head of the Civil Defense of the Chief Department on Civil Defense and Rescuing of the Ministry of Defense mentioned that Plan of Action of Framework of cooperation on strengthening regional collaboration of Central Asian countries could reflect the mutually beneficial activities in one document, which might be implemented further both in bilateral and multilateral manner depending on agreements reached between the relevant parties around particular activities.

The technical level discussions of November 24, 2015 started with review of following topics:

• Outcomes of Regional Ministerial Conferences held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
• Emergency sector in Turkmenistan, basic trends of development, latest achievements and development plans, as well as possible contribution and participation in regional cooperation
• Center for Disaster Response and Risk Reduction in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
• Central Asia Regional Secretariat of the Chemical, Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Risk Mitigation Centre of Excellence Initiative, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Regional Ministerial Conference started on November 24, 2015 was further strengthened by side event in the form of multiletaral meeting of the heads of delegations of Disaster Management Authorities to discuss the expected outcomes of the Conference.