DUSHANBE, 14.08.2024 (NIAT Khovar) – On August 13, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution “Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, 2025-2034”, which was facilitated by the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of France.

By adopting the said Resolution, the period from 2025 to 2034 is proclaimed as the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences in order to promote global scientific cooperation, especially through conducting related scientific research, monitoring and sustainable development efforts within the framework of existing structures, resources and voluntary contributions to address the challenges associated with melting glaciers and changes to the cryosphere.

According to the findings of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Union for Conservation of Nature report entitled “World Heritage Glaciers” on the accelerated melting of glaciers, the glaciers in the World Heritage Sites, one third of which have glaciers, will disappear by 2050.

Therefore, this resolution invites all UN Member States, relevant organizations of the UN system and other global, regional and subregional organizations, indigenous peoples, as well as other relevant stakeholders, including academia, civil society organizations, the private sector and individuals, at all levels, to promote activities aimed at raising awareness of the Decade and the importance of glaciers, snow and ice in the climate system and the hydrological cycle, as well as the economic, social and environmental impacts, and to share best practices and knowledge.

At the same time, on the basis of the Resolution of the UN General Assembly entitled «International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, 2025» (A/RES/77/158), adopted earlier at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, other stakeholders and donors are invited to contribute to the International Trust Fund in support of activities for Glaciers’ Preservation, which coordinated by the Secretary-General in partnership with relevant agencies of the UN system, including UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization in order to support countries in addressing issues related to accelerated melting of glaciers and its consequences.

The resolution highlights the importance of cryosphere-related initiatives for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the International Decade of Action «Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028», and welcomes Tajikistan’s initiative to convene an International Conference on the Glacier’s Preservation in Dushanbe in 2025.

It should be noted that the Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon during his speech at the opening session of the Third High-Level International Conference on the International Decade of Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028” (Dushanbe, June 11, 2024) spoke about the initiative and invited the UN Member States to support it. It’s important to recall that the initiative to promote this Decade is one of the outcomes of the One Planet — Polar Summit (Paris, November 8, 2023).

It is important to note that the adoption of this initiative is once again a testimony of the prominent role of Tajikistan plays in advancing the water and climate agenda, including glacier’s preservation at the global level, and readiness of the UN Member States to cooperate with Tajikistan within the «Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, 2025-2034».