BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 2. Uzbekistan officially launched a new biosafety initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to enhance the country's regulatory, technical, and institutional capacity to manage biosafety risks, Trend reports via the Uzbek Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
The project, titled “Implementation of a National Biosafety System in Uzbekistan in Accordance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,” was launched on June 2 during Eco Expo Central Asia 2026, marking the start of a project aimed at strengthening the country's national biosafety system in line with international standards under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
The launch event brought together senior government officials and representatives of international organizations, including Presidential Adviser on Environmental Issues and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Director General Grethel Aguilar, GEF and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official Jeffrey Griffin, and Asad Naqvi, director of the Implementation Support Unit of the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat.
Speaking at the event, Abdukhakimov said the initiative extends beyond environmental protection and is closely linked to Uzbekistan’s economic development and trade integration goals.
"As Uzbekistan advances toward accession to the World Trade Organization, establishing a transparent, science-based biosafety system that meets international standards for agricultural trade and sanitary measures is becoming increasingly important," he said.
Officials also highlighted the country's strategic location along major Eurasian transit routes, noting that cross-border movement of living modified organisms presents growing regulatory and environmental challenges. Strengthening laboratory capacity, monitoring systems, and border controls was identified as a key priority.
According to organizers, the project will support the modernization of biosafety legislation and policies, improve interagency coordination, expand technical and laboratory capabilities, and strengthen systems for risk assessment, monitoring, and management of living modified organisms.
On the sidelines of the event, the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, the IUCN, and the FAO signed a Statement of Intent aimed at expanding cooperation on biodiversity conservation, biosafety, sustainable natural resource management, climate resilience, and ecosystem restoration.
The partners pledged to work together to strengthen national capacities, improve institutional coordination, promote scientific and technical cooperation, and support the adoption of international environmental and biosafety standards.
Participants emphasized the importance of international partnerships and GEF-supported mechanisms in helping countries translate global environmental commitments into practical national policies and actions.
