From September 5th to 9th, 2023, the delegation from the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) embarked on a vital mission to Turkmenistan. The delegation, consisting of Ms. Katja Schaefer, Interregional Advisor for Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the Program Development Branch, Global Solutions Department, and Mr. Herman Jean Pienaar, Lead of the Urban Laboratory, Planning, Finance, and Economics Section, City Practice Branch, Global Solutions Department, conducted a series of high-level meetings with Mr. Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan; Ms. Mahri Bashimova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan; Mr. Berdi Halykov, Deputy Minister of Construction and Architecture of Turkmenistan; Mr. Serdar Jorayev, Minister of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan; Mr. Rahym Gandymov, Hakim (mayor) of Ashgabat City; Mr. Shamuhammet Durdylyev, Hakim (mayor) of Arkadag City; Mr. Deryaguly Orazov, Head of the Construction Directorate of Arkadag City; Mr. Nokerguly Atagulyev, Head of the Union Of Industrialists And Entrepreneurs Of Turkmenistan; representatives from the private sector specializing in construction and architecture; and urban planning officials to present a groundbreaking Concept Note. The primary objective of the UN-Habitat delegation's visit was to introduce the Concept Note titled "Towards a Better Urban Future: Establishing UN-Habitat Ashgabat Office for Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable Cities and Communities in Turkmenistan". The delegation engaged in a comprehensive agenda during their visit, which included meetings with high-ranking officials and stakeholders in Turkmenistan. The Concept Note presented by the UN-Habitat delegation demonstrates the United Nations' commitment to working in partnership with Turkmenistan to address urban development challenges and promote a brighter urban future for all citizens. This mission aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN-Government of Turkmenistan Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025, and underscores the importance of inclusive and sustainable urbanization as a driver of positive change. The visit of the UN-Habitat delegation marks a significant step forward in strengthening collaboration between Turkmenistan and the United Nations in the field of sustainable urban development. It is anticipated that this initiative will lead to transformative improvements in the urban landscape, contributing to the well-being and prosperity of Turkmenistan's residents.

As the international community prepares to mark 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, in collaboration with the Government of Turkmenistan convened a high-level national conference in Ashgabat to review the progress made since the landmark ICPD conference held in Cairo in 1994 and implementation of the commitments from the Nairobi Summit in 2019.   The review of Turkmenistan’s progress towards the implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD started earlier this year with national stakeholder consultations at the sub-national conference in Turkmenabat, Lebap region. During consultations the national stakeholders recognized the need for enhancing accountability in implementation of laws, policies, and national programmes/plans related to reproductive health and rights, gender equality, youth policy and population dynamics.  At the high-level national conference in Ashgabat, national stakeholders highlighted the commitments in improving the well-being of people through a people-centered approach, specifically focusing on ensuring universal access to family planning and maternal health by improving access to quality reproductive health services, advancing gender equality and promoting demographic resilience. The conference took the stock of progress towards ICPD Programme of Action in the course of the last decade, the contribution of the progress to achievements of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlighted steps forward in accelerating the actions towards realizing three transformative results by 2030 that can only be achieved with an increased focus on protecting and promoting the rights and inclusive participation of women, adolescent and youth as agents of change. The outcomes of this high-level conference will be factored in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional ICPD30 Conference titled “Population and Development: Ensuring Rights and Choices'', which will be organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and UNFPA on 19-20 October in Geneva, Switzerland. The Turkmenistan delegation will have an opportunity to demonstrate their achievements and progress at the regional level.  This comprehensive review process will be reported at the global review of the ICPD, which will take place at the 57th Session of the Commission on Population and Development in April 2024. UNFPA also shared insights about the 2030 Vision of the programme of cooperation with the government to ensure that women, girls and young people benefit from improved people-centered, rights-based, evidence-driven policies and universal access to sexual reproductive health and gender-based violence services and information. Key interventions will ensure that that UNFPA supports the government is fulfilling the 2030 aspiration by:  addressing the issue of traditional social and gender norms; Strengthening policy work; Improving access to services; Increasing availability and use of data; Improving the agency and knowledge about women and girls’ SRHR; Ms. Florence Bauer, UNFPA Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia underlined that “Turkmenistan has the potential to build a demographically resilient society that has a prosperous future by further strengthening human capital and enabling people to fulfill their potentials. Our future depends on how we think about and respond to the ties between population and development. The choices we make will either pave the way for a more stable, more resilient, and ultimately more prosperous region, or lead us towards unprecedented costs and irreversible consequences at individual and collective levels''. Ms. Myahri Byashimova, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan highlighted that “Strategic partnership between Turkmenistan and the United Nations is key for  an effective collaboration in various areas such as healthcare, economy, social welfare, education, human rights and sustainable development. Within this strategic partnership, I would like to emphasize the high level of cooperation between the government of Turkmenistan and UNFPA. UNFPA’s active involvement in the promotion of maternal and reproductive health and gender equality contributed to achieving progress in these areas”. Mr. Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan underlined that “the ICPD Programme of Action and the SDGs are interlinked and their goals overlap and complement each other, creating synergies towards sustainable development and well-being for all. The goals call for cooperation and joint action by governments, organizations and people to address problems such as addressing inequalities, environmental challenges and demographic changes. The national review of ICPD30 will contribute to the agenda of this year's SDG Summit and streamline the country’s efforts in achieving the SDGs. Building on the outcomes of the Summit, nations will consider how to lay the foundations for more effective global cooperation that can meet today's challenges as well as the new threats that lie ahead”. Background: In 1994, at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), 179 countries came together and adopted a Programme of Action, in which they agreed that population policies must be aimed at empowering couples and individuals— especially women—to make decisions about the size of their families, providing them with the information and resources to make such decisions, and enabling them to exercise their reproductive rights. For the first time in an international consensus document, states agreed that reproductive rights are human rights that are already recognized in domestic and international law. The ICPD Programme of Action recognizes that realizing the right to reproductive health is a critical element of guaranteeing reproductive rights. The ICPD Programme of Action broadly defines reproductive health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes.” In adopting the ICPD Programme of Action, states committed to take legal, policy, budgetary, and other measures to effectuate the principles and rights enshrined in the document. Every five years since ICPD, states have come together to reaffirm this commitment, analyze the progress that has been made towards realizing sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, and decide upon further actions that should be taken.    Please read:   Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population Development Explore Nairobi Commitments: Turkmenistan   Please watch: Youth and ICPD30 Dreams of teenage girls Gender-based violence. Selbi’s story Gender-based division of parental and domestic roles: “Family Treasure” Results of the 2022 Complete Census of the Population and Housing stock of Turkmenistan   For more information, please contact: Ogulgerek Annayeva  Communications Analyst annayeva@unfpa.org   About UNFPA: UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

Public associations of Turkmenistan with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Turkmenistan held awareness raising events in three regions of the country on the occasion of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons which is observed annually around the world on July 30 in accordance with the relevant resolution of the UN General Assembly. The campaign for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 is held under the theme "Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind".  In Ashgabat, Public Association “Yenme” held an awareness-raising event called “Stop Human Trafficking”, which was attended by 42 young activists and volunteers. During the interactive session, the participants of the event discussed the importance of safe and regular migration in preventing human trafficking. The participants of the event also watched video film "5 Facts About Human Trafficking" and took part in the interactive game "Degrees of Risk". All participants were presented with information booklets and souvenirs. “Ynamly Egindesh” Economic Society, operating a hotline in Ashgabat for people at risk or victims of human trafficking, also held an event in Ashgabat to raise awareness about this phenomenon. During the event, the participants discussed the variety of risks leading to human trafficking that various groups of the population face, making them vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers. In the course of the discussion, the participants noted the importance of applying methods aimed at improving the effectiveness of ongoing measures to combat human trafficking. The participants of the event were also familiarized with the work carried out by "Ynamly Egindesh" Economic Society on prevention of human trafficking in Turkmenistan as part of the "Vaccination Against Stereotypes" project. The participants also watched a video film “5 Facts About Human Trafficking”. Public association “Taze Zaman”, also operating a hotline in Turkmenabat, held an exhibition of drawings and cartoons on the topic of human trafficking prepared by residents of Lebap province, helping to raise awareness of over 40 people of the risks and consequences of irregular migration and human trafficking. The exhibition was held with the support of the city administration. Information materials and printed products provided by IOM in Turkmenistan as well as products with anti-trafficking thematic were also distributed at the event.  Public association "Mashgala" organized an information event dedicated to the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons within the framework of a sports competition in kabaddi and freestyle wrestling among teenagers of Mary province at the stadium of “Merv” football club. As was noted by the head of this organization, Bazar Bugraev, “Mashgala” seeks to draw attention of civil society of the rural region of Mary province to the problem of human trafficking in order to prevent and counteract this phenomenon, the risk of which becomes higher with the increase in migration flows as a result of the legal illiteracy of vulnerable segments of the population. “Mashgala” works with young people on this issue on an ongoing basis to build support and form public opinion for reduction of risky behavior, especially among young people. The International Organization for Migration has been working in Turkmenistan since 1997. IOM is one of the key partners of Turkmenistan in combating human trafficking. Within the framework of the project “Protection of vulnerable migrants with special emphasis on empowering women in the context of migration in Central Asia”, IOM in Turkmenistan is supporting Public Association “Taze Zaman” and “Ynamly Egindesh” Economic Society in maintaining “hotlines” in Ashgabat and Turkmenabad for provision of preventive information to the population of Turkmenistan about risks of becoming victims of human trafficking, as well as to Public Association "Yenme" in maintaining a “shelter” in Ashgabat for provision of temporary accommodation and rehabilitation assistance to victims of human trafficking.

This is the third year of the joint initiative of the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, UNICEF, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Regional Office for Central Asia (OHCHR ROCA) in raising awareness among children from all over the country about human rights, child rights, and the rights of people with disabilities. In what is increasingly becoming a -standing tradition, the events were conducted in summer camps, where children from all over Turkmenistan enjoy a series of interactive sessions and games. Remarkably, this year OHCHR ROCA is supporting the camps within their Human Rights 75 campaign which is to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The campaign seeks to increase the knowledge of the universality and indivisibility of human rights and empower people to know and stand up for their rights, especially among young people. As in previous years, in addition to gaining new knowledge and skills, the children freely expressed their voices and shared their aspirations for the future. The information sessions mainly focused on educating the children on the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as their basic principles. It included issues such as non-discrimination, ensuring what is in the best interests of the child, their health, development, participation, and inclusion, as well as the national legislation in the field of the rights of the child and persons with disabilities. “I liked today’s event very much. I learnt a lot about human rights, child rights, for example, that every child has a right to learn, to have rest, to live in a safe environment and more. What I liked the most was to learn about rights of children with disabilities and that all children are equal,” - said Medine, a 10-year-old girl attending the session in “Nesil” summer camp. In total, all partners visited five summer camps in Geokdere and more than 250 children from all over Turkmenistan took part in the sessions, where they expressed their opinions and readiness to share their new knowledge with other children.