At a forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust, the International Day of Neutrality, and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the need to strengthen global water diplomacy through close intergovernmental coordination. He proposed the creation of a specialized international water organization within the UN, reports Kursiv.kz.
“In the UN system, there is no structure fully dedicated to water issues. Kazakhstan proposes creating an international water organization that would consolidate the mandates of existing UN agencies and programs,” Tokayev stated. He added that the optimal option could be to transform the UN-Water mechanism into a full-fledged specialized UN agency.
The president announced that a regional environmental summit is planned in Astana next April, where the process of international consultations on establishing a global water organization will be initiated. “A systematic approach will allow critical water issues to be addressed comprehensively rather than fragmentarily,” he emphasized.
Tokayev once again called on the international community to support Kazakhstan’s efforts to preserve the Caspian Sea. He highlighted the growing water shortage and noted that the rational use of resources has become a strategic priority for Kazakhstan and other countries in the region. He stressed that special attention should be paid to transboundary water management and the ecological state of the Aral and Caspian Seas.
The president proposed strengthening the work of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea based on mutual compromises and invited Russia to participate in the fund as an observer. Regarding the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan suggested developing a special intergovernmental program to prevent ecosystem destruction and the shrinking of the sea.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 12, 2025