Opening of the 15th CALP in Almaty: First Day Dedicated to Leadership and Communication

Almaty, Kazakhstan – On September 15, the opening of the first day of the jubilee 15th Central Asian Leadership Programme (CALP) took place in Almaty, organized by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) with the support of international partners. The programme brought together 25 young specialists from Central Asian countries to strengthen their leadership and communication skills in the field of sustainable development.

It should be noted that this year CALP places special emphasis on the following themes:

The first day of CALP was dedicated to introducing the agenda as well as the activities of CAREC and its international partners. The day featured presentations of CAREC’s key programmes on education for sustainable development, climate change and sustainable energy, water initiatives support, environmental management and environment and health. Participants also learned about the work of international partners — the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) — and discussed opportunities for future cooperation.

It should be noted that during the presentation of CAREC’s Water initiatives support programme related to water diplomacy in the region, the Blue Peace Index was introduced. It was developed in the first phase of the project and will further be promoted through a media platform with the participation of youth.

«Over the past 15 years, CALP has become not only an educational platform but also a true school of regional cooperation. Today, many of its alumni hold leading positions and continue contributing to sustainable development in Central Asia,» emphasized Batyr Mamedov, CAREC Executive Director.

The significance of the programme was also highlighted by Nuraddin Murshudlu, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer, OSCE Programme Office in Astana: «For more than a decade, OSCE structures have been facilitating dialogue on environmental security among participating States. CALP is an important part of these efforts, bringing together young leaders of the region to search for sustainable solutions».

Roman Karajanov, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at GIZ, added: «GIZ highly values its close cooperation with Central Asian partners and sees CALP as an important platform for developing the professional skills of young leaders and jointly seeking sustainable environmental solutions».

The 15th CALP is organized by CAREC with the financial support of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) within the framework of the Blue Peace project, as well as in partnership with the Kazakh-German University (DKU).

Valeria Orlova - Manager of the “Education for Sustainable Development” program, CAREC, esd@carececo.com