Kazakhstan – Almaty - The 13th Central Asian Leadership Program on Environment for Sustainable Development (CALP) on the theme “Leaders of Central Asia - Engaging Youth in the Implementation of National Climate Change Priorities, Regional Cooperation and Climate Finance for Sustainable Development” successfully completed on September 22, 2023.
CALP is a flagship initiative of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) undertaken since 2010. The Program is designed to improve leadership capacity of young and mid-level managers of various environmental agencies and focuses on multiple sustainable development challenges in the region. It is organized annually and involves government, academic, private sector, and NGO representatives – a multi-stakeholder approach that helps to ensure a comprehensive understanding of environmental and sustainable development issues from a regional perspective and that enables decision-makers to better deliver on sustainability.
This year, the 13th CALP was devoted to water governance, negotiations on addressing transboundary and national environmental problems, sustainable production and consumption, sustainable energy and education for sustainable development.
The CALP comprised expert lectures, interactive sessions, case studies, networking opportunities, leadership development, and a deepening understanding of climate change issues.
“The CALP is one of the most successful instruments of the multi-partner, multi-sectoral, multi-agency initiatives on leadership capacity-building and opening of mew professional horizons for the youth of Central Asia. CALP is the only regular program to increase the potential among young people for sustainable development in Central Asia, after 12 years having become a recognized platform for the development of regional youth cooperation,” stressed Valeria Orlova, Manager of the CAREC programme “Education for Sustainable Development”.
Over 12 years from 2010 to 2021, about 370 young people from five countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan - representatives of state environmental, water and energy sectors, NGOs, universities, and the green business - have graduated from the CALP. From year to year, CAREC receives more and more nominations from state bodies of Central Asian countries, NGOs, and regional organizations, which confirms recognition and relevance of the program by national partners. 4
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CALP is organized by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) in cooperation with the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, the World Bank, the Secretariat of the High-Level Dialogue Platform of the Swiss Blue Peace Central Asia Initiative and Coca-Cola.
The thematic report, presentations and publications on the results of the 13th CALP will be available on the CAREC website and social networks and serve as sources of information for stakeholders in Central Asia and beyond.
Additional information: Valeria Orlova, Manager of the CAREC programme “Education for Sustainable Development”, vorlova@carececo.org