DUSHANBE, 30.05.2025 (NIAT Khovar) – On May 30, the First High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation was held in Dushanbe.

More than 2,500 high-level experts from 80 countries, heads of delegations from a number of governments, high-ranking representatives of regional and international organizations, research institutes and development partners gathered at the high-level conference venue — Somoni Palace of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

The event began with a joint photo session of the President of the country, Emomali Rahmon, and the heads of delegations participating in the First High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation.

It should be noted that more than 450 domestic and foreign media reporters, including 150 journalists from foreign media, have registered to cover the conference.

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, Honourable Emomali Rahmon, participated and delivered a speech at the First High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation.

The President of the country, Emomali Rahmon, welcomed the participants of the high-level event to Tajikistan and wished the conference success.

The Head of State, Emomali Rahmon, called the conference an important step towards the implementation of the United Nations resolution on declaring 2025 the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation”.

It was emphasized that today’s meeting will provide a forum for a fruitful dialogue to exchange views on this vital issue, as well as the rational use of water resources.

The Head of State, Emomali Rahmon, drew the attention of experts to the issue of the rapid melting of glaciers, which has become a global crisis of our time, and assessed its decline as a worrying process in the history of mankind.

The Leader of the Nation, Emomali Rahmon, analyzed and reflected on climate change, the unprecedented decline of glaciers, and its tragic consequences for the planet’s population, and considered it necessary for the international community to make joint efforts to find solutions to these problems.

It was emphasized that Tajikistan, as a country with the largest glaciers in Central Asia, is also facing this problem.

The Head of State stated that the decline of glaciers threatens not only our natural heritage, but also the lives of millions of people in the region.

It was proposed to expand effective cooperation with all partners for the purpose of comprehensive monitoring of glaciers, as well as planning and implementing urgent measures for their protection.

In this regard, intellectual innovations and financial and technical assistance were also considered necessary.

It was noted that the glaciers of Tajikistan are not only a major source of water for the rivers of Central Asia, but also play a key role in maintaining the stability of the region’s climate and are also of great importance for protecting the global climate, and at the same time, the current state of these glaciers requires accurate scientific research.

Given that more than 60 percent of the region’s glaciers are located in Tajikistan, it was also proposed to organize a comprehensive expedition to study the glaciers of Tajikistan together with development partners and scientific and research institutes and to establish a regional glaciological laboratory in our country.

All partners and stakeholders were invited to support this initiative and thus make their appropriate contribution to the implementation of the “Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences — 2025-2034”.

The Head of State, Emomali Rahmon, stated that Tajikistan has been actively promoting the water and climate agenda in the international arena for the past twenty years, while emphasizing the need for an urgent and joint response to protect glaciers.

The Leader of the Nation, Emomali Rahmon, recalled that, given the importance of this issue, on the initiative of Tajikistan, based on the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, 2025 was declared the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation” and March 21 was proclaimed “World Glaciers Day”, and the International Trust Fund for Glaciers was established under the United Nations.

It was considered necessary for states and international and regional organizations to make their financial contribution as much as possible in order to ensure the effective operation of this Fund.

The President of the country reflected on the initiative of the Republic of Tajikistan and France on the adoption of a UN resolution to declare 2025-2034 as the “Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences”.

Our Head of State, Emomali Rahmon, considered it necessary to take urgent measures to protect glaciers and put forward a number of proposals. In particular, raising the level of awareness of the international community about the vital role of glaciers, strengthening international cooperation, conducting comprehensive monitoring and scientific research in order to better understand the process of glacier change and their impact on global climate change, implementing collective measures to eliminate the socio-economic consequences of rapid glacier melting, in particular its impact on access to water, food security, energy production, and the protection of cultural and natural heritage.

Also, the President of the country, Emomali Rahmon, proposed to coordinate most of the measures aimed at preserving glaciers.

The Head of State also proposed to develop a Global Strategy for the Preservation of Glaciers at the global level.

In the end of his speech, the President of the country, Emomali Rahmon, stated that the results of today’s Conference, including the Declaration of the Dushanbe Conference and the appeal of the Conference participants, will serve as a call for practical actions by the international community to contribute to important global processes in the field of water, climate, and sustainable development.

Following the speech of the Leader of the Nation, Emomali Rahmon, a number of high-level experts, heads of delegations of governments of countries and international and regional organizations, First Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Reza Arif, First Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Constantino Chiwenga, Vice President of the Republic of Gambia Mohamed Jallow, Vice President of the Republic of Maldives Hussein Mohamed Latheef, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Celeste Saulo, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO Lydia Brito, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Catherine Mary Russell, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Ali Shahbana, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank Yingming Yang, and Vice President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Ajay Bhushan spoke, and Tajikistan’s global initiatives in addressing glacier problems and preserving them were highly appreciated.

It is expected that the results of the first International High-Level Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation will lead to the adoption of the Dushanbe Declaration on Glaciers, the Dushanbe Call, and the Chairman’s Conclusion.