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!” 

Forensic services are key to an effective and fair criminal justice system because it provides objective and timely information to process evidence at different stages of the criminal justice process. Effective use of forensic science can enhance criminal justice for the whole community, whereas the ineffective use of forensic science can ultimately lead to false imprisonment and miscarriages of justice. “Well-structured and equipped forensic laboratories, as well as qualified forensic experts are crucial for the criminal justice system, as they provide invaluable information that aids in the investigation and prosecution of crime and allows building cases based on physical evidence rather than on confession and testimony”, says Mr. Koen Marquering, International Manager of the UNODC Criminal Justice Programme in Central Asia. UNODC has been supporting two forensic laboratories in Turkmenistan since 2019 aiming at aligning their performance and procedures towards internationally accepted ISO/IEC 17025 standard, establishing a pool of well-trained experts and obtaining international accreditation. To demonstrate the achieved results under the UNODC Project Strengthening Forensic Services in Turkmenistan, implemented with financial support from the US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), UNODC together with its key counterparts: two forensic laboratories of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry (MOH) and Ministry of Interior (MOI) called an inter-agency coordination meeting on forensic matters. The inter-agency coordination meeting is the key UNODC -facilitated platform aimed at strengthening coordination and cooperation on forensics in Turkmenistan. The comprehensive needs assessment conducted by UNODC and national counterparts in June 2019 outlined the gaps and training needs in forensics. In line with these findings, 5 representatives of the Forensic Laboratories of Turkmenistan visited accredited forensic laboratories of Lithuania to learn about quality management.   Within the first phase of the project lasted from 2019 until 2020, over 40 Turkmen forensic experts passed through an intensive training programme to strengthen their professional expertise and skills on Quality Management in Forensic Science being equipped with expertise on understanding and interpretation of the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements. Additionally, experts learned how to develop the Quality Management System documentation, as well as obtained an information on Metrological Traceability; Reference Materials and Control Samples; and Method validation.   Forensic laboratory of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry participated at the UNODC’s International Collaborative Exercises (ICE) which allows laboratories from all over the world to continuously monitor and improve their performance in drug testing, including analyses of drugs in seized materials and biological specimens. Participation of laboratories in the ICE exercise is an essential part of the accreditation process of the labs. Turkmenistan joined the ICE Programme in 2020. In June 2020, UNODC and U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs launched the Phase II of the project worth 200 000 US $, which continued enhancement of Turkmen forensic experts’ capacities on crime scene investigation and evidence management, validation of analytical methods used to identify and quantify drugs, poisons and their metabolites in biological fluids or tissues. Another two trainings were focused on internal audits and management review, and on strengthening the metrics' reading, interpretation skills and introduce the use of control charts in lab examinations.  UNODC in partnership with forensic laboratory of the Ministry of Health and Medical industry (MOH) developed Management System of the Central Forensic Bureau of Turkmenistan, Management System Guidelines and Policy, including 26 procedures and 85 forms which are necessary to be in place and in active use as one of the key prerequisites for accreditation. Outlining the achievements reached within the project cycle, Mr. Gurbangeldi Pirliyev, the Head of the Central Forensic Bureau of Turkmenistan, noted: “As part of our close cooperation, with the support of UNODC, our specialists are constantly improving their knowledge and expertise through participation in trainings, workshops, as well as through participation in proficiency testing exercises. We fully rely on the support from UNODC in the process of applying for accreditation and hope that our cooperation will continue to be as effective and will lead to positive outcomes”. UNODC supports the efforts of Turkmenistan to strengthen the forensic services with funding provided by the US State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) by implementing the Strengthening Forensic Services in Turkmenistan project Phase II.

Two decades ago, the international community, adopted the UN Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. Turkmenistan joined the TIP Protocol in 2005, and has improved state policies, legislation, prevention, detection, and suppression of human trafficking activities, creating favorable conditions for the physical, psychological and social rehabilitation of victims of trafficking in persons.  To support Turkmen Government in implementing its commitments on fighting trafficking in persons, the UNODC in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and USAID's Safe Migration in Central Asia Programme and the USAID's Governance Support Programme in Turkmenistan, conducted a two-day workshop on "Strengthening National Policies on Trafficking in Persons", which was held in hybrid format from 15 to 16 March 2022.  “It is very important to understand that the fight against trafficking in persons brings us closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which calls 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 threat means building a society in which no one is left behind”, stated Mr. Chary Atayev, UNODC National Programme Coordinator. The event brought together key stakeholders from the public sector, the Office of the Ombudsman, international development partners, non-governmental and civil society organizations to familiarize the participants with the best international practices in the development of anti-human trafficking policies with strong emphasis on victim-centered approaches, discuss the capacity development needs, as well as review and discuss the national legislation in the field and the key findings, conclusions and recommendations of the legal analysis conducted by the UNODC in 2018.    According to Nino Nadiradze, USAID Representative in Turkmenistan: “more traffickers are being prosecuted every year – globally, the number convicted per 100,000 population has nearly tripled since 2003, when the protocol came into force. The existence of anti-trafficking legislation and investment in national capacity and international cooperation strengthen the response”. Outstanding experts Tatyana Kotlyarenko, OSCE/ODIHR Warsaw, Meder Dastanbekov, SMICA Country Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan, Madis Vainomaa, Project Manager, Anti-trafficking Programme, International Centre for Migration Policy Development, Elena Nyanenkova, International TIP Legislative Reform Consultant and Shandra Woworuntu, the Chair of the ODIHR and ex-member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and a survivor of human trafficking and domestic violence shared best practices with the workshop participants.   “The establishment of specialized agencies dedicated to preventing and combating trafficking in persons, as well as to assisting victims, can facilitate dialogue between these different areas of expertise and promote coordinated responses. Together with dedicated training of relevant organizations, this multisectoral approach can promote effective identification, protection and redress of victims, as well as investigative actions targeting the different forms of this crime, based on a victim-centered, child and gender sensitive, and human rights-based approach”, concluded Ms. Eleanor Valentine, Chief of Party of Safe Migration in Central Asia Programme. The event was a part of the UNODC and USAID Safe Migration in Central Asia joint initiative 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.