Dushanbe, 25-28 May 2026 – The Deputy Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Ms. Zhang Ling participated in the 4th High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028” held in Dushanbe.
Hosted by the Government of Tajikistan in cooperation with the United Nations as part of the Dushanbe Water Process, the Conferencebrought together senior officials, representatives of international and regional organizations, financial institutions, academia and civil society to discuss practical approaches to advancing sustainable water management and strengthening international cooperation in support of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).
During the Conference’s inaugural session, President of the Republic of Tajikistan H.E. Emomali Rahmon proposed the establishment of the “Dushanbe Water Process Framework Programme”. This ambitious initiative aims to consolidate global efforts toward the practical implementation of the water agenda beyond 2030.
To draw attention to regional challenges, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Erlis Akunbekov highlighted the growing impact of climate change and glacier melt on Central Asia's water security and called for strengthened and coordinated regional cooperation. Senior United Nations leadership and the Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan further reinforced this call, underscoring a unified commitment to confronting shared environmental challenges.
Delivering remarks on behalf of CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay during the high-level plenary session, Deputy Secretary General Zhang Ling emphasized that water-related challenges are increasing as a critical test of multilateraldiplomacy. Noting that CICA’s 28 Member States face mounting pressures from climate change, glacier melt, and water scarcity, she underlined the critical need for consensus-based regional cooperation and shared climate resilience.
Ms. Zhang Ling also highlighted CICA’s expanding Environmental Dimension as part of its broad agenda. She further noted that sustainable water management has been present prominently on the CICA agenda since the adoption of the High-Level Statement of the 2024 Ministerial Conference on Enviornmental Issues. As the next step in CICA Member States’ cooperation on water-related issues she highlighted key takeaways from the 2025 Dushanbe side event under the Azerbaijani Chairmanship, as well asthe high-level CICA meeting within the framework of the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana on 23 April 2026.
Throughout the session, contribution of Tajikistan to the global water agenda was widely acknowledged, with participants emphasizing thecountry’s sustained efforts to promote multilateral dialogue and practical cooperation in the framework of the International Decade for Actionon the road toward the 2028 United Nations Conference, which will mark the finalcomprehensive review of the Decade.
Prior to the plenary session of the conference, CICA delegation joined the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Dushanbe on 25 May 2026.
Discussions at the ESCAP session centered on transboundary cooperation, climate resilience, financing, and disaster risk reduction, ensuring regional alignment ahead the UN Water Conference 2026 to be hosted by the UAE (Abu Dhabi) and co-hosted by Senegal in December 2026.
The participation of the CICA Secretariat delegation in the 4th Dushanbe Water Conference reaffirmed the organization’s continued engagement in promoting dialogue and cooperation on environmental and sustainable development issues across Asia. The visit also contributed to strengthening contacts with international partners and advancing exchanges on regional approaches to addressing shared water and climate-related challenges.
