Circular economy offers new pathways for landlocked developing countries, UN side event in Turkmenistan highlights

The event, “Transition to a Circular Economy in Landlocked Developing Countries: Pathways to a UN Global Framework for the Transition to a Circular Economy”, was co-organized by the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan. It brought together government representatives, international organizations, development banks, academics, and private sector leaders.

Circular solutions for structural challenges

Delivering remarks at the event, Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, underlined the timeliness of adopting circular approaches to address structural challenges faced by LLDCs.

“The circular economy offers a model that not only reduces environmental impact but also creates new economic opportunities, fosters innovation, and strengthens resilience. For LLDCs, it can be a powerful lever to diversify economies, reduce dependency on resource extraction, and build sustainable value chains,” he said.

He highlighted how the United Nations system in Turkmenistan, under its Cooperation Framework with the Government, is promoting green growth, sustainable infrastructure, and inclusive economic transformation.

Through the UN–Private Sector Partnerships Platform, the UN is also supporting circular practices in Turkmenistan’s business sector. Mr. Shlapachenko cited examples including the use of agricultural and textile waste in paper production, precision agriculture technologies, and wastewater recycling in new urban development projects.

“We will continue to encourage and support circularity principles among private sector enterprises and public entities, as they play a crucial role in accelerating the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.

Policy frameworks and partnerships

Discussions at the event focused on policy measures and incentives needed to remove barriers to circular economy models in LLDCs, including in waste management, public procurement, trade, innovation, and supply chain traceability.

Participants shared best practices from across the LLDC community, including experiences in regulatory reform and technology deployment to accelerate circularity. They also emphasized the importance of international cooperation to ensure LLDCs can access knowledge, finance, and technology to support their transition.

Contribution to the Awaza Programme of Action

The circular economy side event contributes directly to the Awaza Programme of Action for LLDCs (2024–2034), which calls for enhanced productive capacity, sustainable industrialization, and climate-smart development pathways.

By advancing recommendations on circular practices, the event also supports the achievement of SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

“This platform is not only for dialogue—it is for action. Together, governments, the UN, the private sector, and civil society can ensure that landlocked developing countries are not left behind in the global green transition,” Mr. Shlapachenko concluded.

The discussion was moderated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and featured contributions from senior officials from Turkmenistan, regional organizations, UN Resident Coordinators from Central Asia and Europe, development banks, and experts from academia.

*Concept note and Programm of the event attached below