Most companies are becoming more accommodating to the growing global demand for low-cost goods and even cheaper services. And as we well know, demand creates supply. All this, in the end, can lead to situations related to exploitation. To exchange opinions and find best solution for the private sector engagement into the fight against human trafficking, the UNODC together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Safe Migration in Central Asia programme in Turkmenistan conducted a workshop on “Best practices on prevention of trafficking in persons in private sector and supply chains and importance of compliance with social, corporate and labor standards in private sector and its impact on export”. Over 29 representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan, “Turkmenstandartlary” Main State Service, as well as representatives of private companies in the field of consultancy, agriculture and construction discussed the implementation of the policies on TIP prevention, labour norms and human rights. Participants learned international and regional experience and practices, and shared examples of successful and innovative approaches to prevent labor violations regionally and globally. Dr. Reda Sirgediene, UNODC Regional Adviser for Central Asia on Countering Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, familiarized the participants with the promising practices of public-private partnerships to prevent and counter Trafficking in Persons. Ms. Saara Haapasaari, an international Corporate and Social Responsibility expert, presented the Due Diligence Manual for Companies developed by the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control (HEUNI) in Helsinki, Finland, the Center for the Study of Democracy from Bulgaria, the University of Tartu from Estonia and the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia. The representative of the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan presented the Norms of national labor legislation and the importance of their observance to prevent the situations of forced labor and TIP. The workshop participants came into conclusion that the private sector plays a key role in combating trafficking in persons, along with government and public organizations. They agreed that a holistic, coordinated and multilateral effort that encompasses all regions and industries is required to fight this crime. As the guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its complementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, UNODC supports the Government of Turkmenistan in strengthening its efforts to combat trafficking in persons. The workshop was a part of the joint initiative of UNODC and USAID “Safe Migration in Central Asia” programme  aimed at improvement of existing legislation in the field of combating trafficking in persons and finalization of the Standard Operating Procedures for relevant departments and organizations to effectively operate the Referral Mechanism in Turkmenistan.

However, this crime is widespread and thrives particularly in situations where the rule of law is weak and criminal justice systems ineffective. “Most countries, including Turkmenistan, already have the necessary anti-trafficking laws in place, but their continuous improvement and alignment with the provisions of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime are of fundamental importance in identifying victims and ensuring that they have access to the protection and services they need, and in bringing transnational criminal groups to justice”, said Mr. Koen Marquering, International Programme Coordinator at UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia. UNODC in 2018 conducted a Legal Analysis of the Turkmenistan Legislation on countering trafficking in personsThe recommendations from this analysis were discussed during the second workshop on Strengthening national policies on trafficking in persons”  held on 26 to 27 May in Turkmenistan. The workshop engaged 21 experts in the field representing the Government and NGOs of Turkmenistan who were introduced to latest developments in legislation reforms in the area of countering trafficking in persons in EU and CIS countries. Along with UNODC-developed Legal Analysis, the proposals prepared by international and national experts to improve Turkmen legislation and the possibility to adapt and integrate the provided recommendations into relevant laws and decrees were carefully reviewed. National and international experts shared best practices on the development of victim identification and support policy and procedures, and sources of funding for national referral mechanisms, with a particular focus on a victim-centered approach that could be applicable to the Turkmenistan context. The participants were familiarized with the experience of Uzbekistan on Reform of countering trafficking in persons Legislation in Practice: Standard Operating Procedures for National Referral Mechanisms; Sources of funding for the National referral mechanism and Best Practices of Collaboration between State Agencies and the Civil Sector in countering TIP; and experience of Kazakhstan in strengthening state and CSOs cooperation in their efforts to prevent Trafficking in Persons. “It is very important to understand that the fight against human trafficking brings us closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, the fight against organized crime and the elimination of forced labor, abuse, exploitation and violence against children. Fighting this global problem means building a society in which no one is left behind”, concluded Mr. Koen Marquering.

She worked, had fun with friends and like many others, did not think about how her seemingly ordinary lifestyle contributes to the pollution of nature. Everything changed after her participation in the eco-challenge, which took place in Turkmenistan: “I learned a lot about climate change and how it threatens human health and the future of our planet” says Gulnara. “I started learning how to live an environmentally friendly life and tried to encourage others towards sustainability. I realized that all my peers also know very little about environmental issues.” It was then that Gulnara came up with a brilliant idea – to open a blog on her social media account to raise public awareness and encourage behavioral change in favor of the planet. Today, Gulnara Tayjanova is the first ever and the only eco-blogger of Turkmenistan. As a prominent social media influencer, Gulnara has done a lot to promote behavioural change in local communities by providing guidance on living with less waste. Gulnara is also a founder of an online Eco-Market, which serves as platform for marketing eco-friendly products and thus supporting the growth of 'green' businesses in the country.   “I am your guide towards ecological lifestyle. I'll tell you where and what is recycled” Gulnara’s biography says on her Instagram account. “I am the one who cares”. This inspiring introduction to Gulnara’s social media account called “Nature’s helper” resulted in an increase of her subscribers’ interest in environmental issues and quickly turned Gulnara’s social network into a platform for sharing knowledge about the current state of the climate and discussing the most important environmental challenges facing humanity.   On her Instagram account, Gulnara talks about different environmental problems and highlights simple tips that everyone can follow to become more sustainable. “In my blog, I talk in simple words about what environmental problems exist and how each of us can help to save the planet. Using my personal example, I show how to reduce the amount of waste, how to sort them at home, inform about where to carry them and what they are then recycled into,” – says Gulnara. “I see that my followers demonstrate their willingness to be engaged and take actions towards becoming greener. My role is to help and show them the way how they can do it”. Gulnara’s role in promoting behavioural change towards a sustainable future has made her a role model for youth eco-activists, who have become her active followers. Her openness and dedication have made her an influential eco-activist, to whom people listen and follow. Like any other influencer to have comprehensive situation awareness and possess the most verified information, Gulnara relies on international experience and actively works with experts. Two years ago, Gulnara began to actively participate in the activities related to sustainable waste management within the UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan project "Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza”, funded by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF). The project is aimed at promoting the development of sustainable cities and reducing the negative impacts of urban growth in the country, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, impact of increasing energy consumption and household waste, as part of the country’s efforts to achieve the socio-economic development goals. The project provides technical assistance, institutional and policy support, and promotes behavioral change in relation to efficient use of resources and waste management covering Ashgabat and Avaza, as well as creates a basis for replicating the results in other cities of the country. Gulnara often visits a local waste sorting and recycling enterprises to inform her followers know that Turkmenistan has a waste management system, which is expanding and improving as a result of UNDP pilot activities. “People should know that we do have a recycling and even a waste collection points, which appeared recently with the support of UNDP project on Sustainable cities.” To find answers to her subscribers’ questions, this year Gulnara organized an interview with the UNDP Project specialists to tell readers about the national system of waste management being introduced with the assistance of UNDP and the Nature protection Society of Turkmenistan. This interview video was posted on Gulnara’s and UNDP Turkmenistan social media channels and sparked active discussions among the public on rational consumption and a sustainable lifestyle. Moreover, Gulnara acted as a co-organizer of an informal conversation with young eco-activists, hosted by UNDP Turkmenistan in February this year to raise climate change awareness and engage youth in eco-friendly initiatives. With the support of Gulnara and other meeting participants, the event was accompanied by active discussions and social media content creation aimed at raising public awareness on UNDP’s mandate and goals, as well as stimulatingdiscussions on sustainability-oriented behavioral change among the local population. “The behavior of each of us matters and adds value to the climate change action” – noted Gulnara at the meeting.  The event was part of the UNDP series of informal conversations with youth to pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to a more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions. “Such innovative initiatives help people understand the impact of human-caused pollution on human and ecosystem health and contribute to further discussions of how behavioral change towards a sustainable lifestyle can reduce the problem,” – says Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan. During the meeting of UNDP with young eco-activists Gulnara made a number of valuable suggestions to increase youth engagement in the efforts of UNDP, including the initiation of a project on homeless animals.  The human attitude towards animals is actually one of the main topics of Gulnara’s Instagram blog.  “My love of animals might have come from my mother. When I was a child, my mother did not pass by any homeless animal, she tried to cure and feed them, and she still does this.” Gulnara often goes to shelters for homeless animals to tell later their sad stories to her subscribers and make them show care “I explain that it is not necessary to buy purebred kittens or puppies, there are many mongrels in the shelter, worthy of our attention, love and care.” Gulnara’s media account, which she started as a blog to provide tips and recommendations on environmental issues, has now turned into something more - a social platform for promotion of healthy lifestyle and knowledge sharing, a call for actions and change. Gulnara’s efforts to promote change towards a sustainable future made her a role model for other young people. “By my personal example I demonstrate how each of us can make a difference by reducing our carbon footprint. I stand ready to support my followers in their obligatory path to a life without waste.”

“Making Peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century” said the UN Secretary-General as he called on the global community to take collective steps towards a safer, more sustainable and equitable path, with the Paris Agreement on climate change as a blueprint.  As always, the UN team in Turkmenistan stepped up and responded to the call of the UN chief. It’s worth noting, that Turkmenistan was the first country in the Europe and Central Asia region to adopt national Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs.  For us as a UN country team, this means continuing to support our national partners, catalyzing knowledge and infusing innovative solutions into our work to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Under my leadership, the UN Country Team acted swiftly to offer a comprehensive and well-coordinated support to Turkmenistan in scaling up climate action and in supporting the country’s initiatives on ensuring environmental sustainability.  Several UN agencies, including FAO, UNDP, UNICEF and WHO, continued their strong collaboration with the Government on the climate change agenda. We also sought to boost the engagement of other UN entities, organizing activities to identify new opportunities for collaboration with the Government.   This reinvigorated engagement fittingly occurred on the eve of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference(COP26) in Glasgow and paved the way for more strategic partnerships and engagement with a wider national audience on climate change issues.  Among them is the establishment of a Climate Change Coordination Group supported by my office. Another is the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UN and the Government of Turkmenistan, the key outcome of a National Youth Conference that we supported on the role of youth in contributing to the climate change agenda.   This MoU marks a significant milestone for Turkmenistan, a landlocked country with a large extractive industry that could be increasingly vulnerable to the impact of climate change without an adjustment. While leveraging stronger cooperation with the Government, this agreement could therefore boost national ambition for climate action to mitigate issues that could arise in the future. It establishes a platform to support national initiatives as well, including the formulation of a national low emission development strategy and action plan, the national action plan on the Aral Sea, the national climate change strategy and the on-going formulation of Turkmenistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions. Overall, the MoU further activates UN support, promoting investments in green initiatives and supporting access to international climate financing. It could inspire communities into becoming more engaged, progressively mobilizing to sustain on-going climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. We are full of hope about the future. The carbon footprint of the manufacturing sector in Turkmenistan has been steadily decreasing in recent years. The country is restoring forests and improving land use to mitigate the impact of climate change. And young people are more committed than ever to play an important role in building sustainable, resilient communities. Leyli Yagshieva, an SDG 13 Young Ambassador who represented Turkmenistan at a Pre-COP26 Youth4Climate Event in Italy most eloquently captured this inspiring outlook towards the future when she said “We, young leaders, believe that our future can be bright and sustainable. The world relies on us, so let's bring our [creativity to tackle climate change] together, here and now!”