Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the Project Office of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) in Turkmenistan, paid a working visit to Almaty, Kazakhstan, from June 17 to 19, 2025.
During the visit, a working meeting was held with Aidai Kurmanova, Head of the UNEP Subregional Office for Central Asia. The meeting was attended by Batyr Mamedov, Executive Director of CAREC, and Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan. The parties discussed strengthening regional cooperation, developing new projects, and promoting coordinated efforts to implement Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).
Mergen Kepbanov also participated in a capacity-building workshop entitled "Advancing effective Multilateral Environmental Agreements implementations in Central Asia: Promoting Synergies and rights-based approaches to combat pollution," organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the support of partners.
During three eventful days, the seminar participants — representatives of UNEP, UNECE, OSCE, the secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions, the Montevideo Program, the Aarhus Convention, and national delegations from Central Asian countries—discussed ways to achieve coordinated and sustainable implementation of environmental agreements. Among the active participants in the event was Zebuniso Muminzoda, Director of the CAREC Country office in Tajikistan.
Turkmenistan, together with CAREC at the seminar, was presented by Farkhat Orunov, a program analyst on sustainability, energy and environmental protection of the UNDP in Turkmenistan.
Participants noted the high level of organization and relevance of topics related to the synergy of agreements, public engagement, and human rights approaches.
Mergen Kepbanov gave informative presentations, sharing CAREC's experience in Turkmenistan. He spoke in detail about the regulatory framework for waste management in Turkmenistan and international commitments to implement the Aarhus Convention and environmental lawmaking. In his speech, he emphasized the important role of the Aarhus Center in providing access to environmental information and justice, as well as the Center's participation in the development of more than 40 environmental laws and regulations. Special attention was paid to the existing environmental and institutional challenges, as well as the need for an integrated approach to reforming the waste management system in accordance with international standards, including the provisions of the Basel Convention. Issues of state control, accountability, environmental safety, as well as the need to develop an ecological culture of the population were also addressed.
Following the seminar, the director of the CAREC project office made recommendations and conclusions.
The international conventions discussed at this seminar share a common goal: to protect human health and the environment from the effects of hazardous chemicals and wastes at all stages of their life cycle, from production to disposal. They provide control over international trade or transboundary movements of substances and wastes to which they apply. The Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions are all the same in that they set out the conditions and procedures that need to be followed when importing and exporting chemicals and waste. These procedures let importing countries stop dangerous substances and waste from coming in that they don't want to accept.
While international trade in chemicals is regulated by the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, waste trade is primarily regulated by the Basel Convention. However, the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions have the opposite effect by limiting the production and use of certain chemicals that become waste and are subject to the Basel Convention.
"It would be possible to consider the possibility of Turkmenistan's accession to the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, which would allow the use of international instruments for the regulation of chemicals and waste and would contribute to the fulfillment of international obligations in this area," stressed Mergen Kepbanov.
Mergen Kepbanov noted the importance of considering the appointment of a person responsible for the Montevideo Program by national authorities, as this could provide the following key benefits:
1. Strengthening environmental legislation
-Support in developing, reforming, and harmonizing national laws with international environmental standards;
-Support in adapting to modern challenges (climate change, land degradation, biodiversity, etc.);
-Participation in international platforms for the exchange of best legal practices.
2. Professional development for specialists
-training for judges, lawyers, civil servants, and parliamentarians on environmental law issues;
-access to an international knowledge base, guidelines, and training materials on environmental law.
3. International cooperation
-establishing partnerships with other countries participating in the program;
-support from UNEP and other international organizations in implementing legal reforms and law enforcement.
4. Improving the effectiveness of law enforcement
-developing mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing compliance with environmental legislation;
-supporting the creation or strengthening of environmental courts, ombudsmen, or other independent oversight mechanisms.
5. Support for sustainable development and climate commitments
-legal assistance for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement;
-creation of a regulatory framework for a green economy, sustainable use of natural resources, and protection of ecosystems
At the end of the seminar, all participants were awarded certificates of participation, which was not only a pleasant outcome of productive work, but also recognition of their contribution to the development of regional dialogue on environmental protection issues and the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements. The seminar served as an important regional platform for strengthening cooperation, exchanging experiences, and developing practical steps for the effective implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) at the national and regional levels.
Additional information:
Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan, turkmenistan@carececo.org