OREANDA-NEWS. August 9, 2011. On 21-23 September 2011 - Astana will host the 7th Ministerial Conference ‘Environment for Europe’ to hather ministers and high officials from more than 56 UNECE member states to discuss key environmental issues.

Within the framework of the Conference, UNDP jointly with the Ministry of Environment Protection of Kazakhstan will hold side events which aim is to give all stakeholders a more focused insight into problems stated, listen to expert opinions and contribute to addressing these issues. Topics to be discussed at side events are the following:

Astana ‘Green Bridge’Initiative: Kazakhstan and Low-Carbon Development (21 September, 12.00-14.00 pm). Contact person - Aigul Yesseneyeva, ayesseneeva@mail.ru 

How to cope with climate-related risks: best practices and approaches (21 September, 18.00 - 19.30 pm). Contact person - Assel Tleof, Assel.tleof@undp.org  

The registration is open for all stakeholders untill 15 August 2011.

The Process ‘Environment for Europe’ was initiated at the First Ministerial Conference in Czechoslovakia in 1991. Over the last 20 years the Conference has been serving as a unique platform to talk about key environmental issues by gathering high officials, representatives of UN agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, regional environmental centers and non-governmental organizations to discuss and join efforts for addressing ecological and environmental problems in the region. At the same time the process was focused on assisting the states of the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) and South-East Europe in improvement of their environmental norms, in order to achieve common regional standards.

There are two items in the Agenda of the Ministerial Conference:

Sustainable management of water and water-related ecosystem;

Greening the economy: mainstreaming the environment into economic development.

A special emphasis will be made on Astana ‘Green Bridge’ Initiative declared by the Republic of Kazakhstan and unanimously approved at the 6th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific in September 2010. This initiative was elaborated within the framework of the joint UNDP/MEP project ‘Strengthening the capacity in the field of sustainable development through integration of climate change issues into strategic planning in the Republic of Kazakhstan’ where contributions were made by diverse experts from governmental, international and non-governmental organizations.

The overarching goal of Astana ‘Green Bridge’ Initiative is to foster collaboration among the states of Europe, Asia and Pacific for planning the move from traditional development models to ‘green growth’ concepts. At a higher leadership level Kazakhstan initiated numerous Eurasian initiatives in various sectors of international cooperation, and now the country is exposed to comprehensive environmental problems which majority is transboundary. Therefore the Astana initiative seeks to strengthen processes to resolve abovementioned problems through the initiation of a political dialogue, fund raising and implementation of clean technologies. All these facilitate job creation, knowledge development and capacity building for achieving environment and development goals.

The Conference will be organized by the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy and Ministry of Environment Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MEP RK)