NEW YORK. On 12 April at the 82nd plenary meeting of the 72nd session the United Nations General Assembly adopted a draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea”. Turkmenistan, under its chairmanship of the IFAS, proposed this resolution for consideration.
The Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the UN Ms Aksoltan Atayeva introduced the resolution to the members of the General Assembly. At the beginning of her speech, Ms Atayeva underlined the broad regional support for this resolution. During the negotiation process, every effort had been made to maintain a constructive atmosphere and achieve consensus.
Ms Atayeva pointed out: “Today, the name of the Aral Sea is associated with an ecological disaster in the Central Asian region. The Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world before it started shrinking.” Over the past 50 years, the volume of water in the Sea had decreased by more than 15 times, its level had decreased by 29 metres, and as a result, 5.5 million hectares of salt dessert had formed. All this made a negative impact on the ecology of the region. Moreover, according to international experts, salt from the Aral Sea is founded far beyond Central Asia: in Antarctica, Greenland, Europe.
The draft resolution is herewith aimed to enhance the partnership between the United Nations and IFAS. The document notes the need for further improvement of the activities of the IFAS. Also notes the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination between the United Nations system and the IFAS. The resolution invites the specialised agencies and other organisations, programmes and funds of the United Nations system, as well as international financial institutions, to develop their cooperation with the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. Besides, it requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session on the implementation of the present resolution. And the last, but not least, the resolution decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-third session, under the item entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organisations”, the sub-item entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea”.
The adoption of the draft resolution indicates that world community recognises the importance of interregional and international cooperation for the environmental challenges of Central Asia. The document draws the attention of the world community to the Aral sea crisis while calling for support and assistance of international financial institutions and developed countries.