ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 22. The first round of consultations on the establishment of an International Water Organization will be held within the framework of the Regional Ecological Summit, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a plenary session in Astana, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh president.
“Alongside our regional efforts, one of the key priorities is global cooperation in the field of water resources,” Tokayev said.
He recalled that in December last year in Ashgabat he proposed creating an International Water Organization as a UN agency. He noted that the initiative is particularly relevant as the United Nations is currently reviewing thousands of mandates, creating an opportunity to strengthen coherence and effectiveness in global governance.
Tokayev also shared Kazakhstan’s experience in biodiversity conservation, stressing that it remains a key direction of the country’s environmental policy.
He said that sustained efforts have already produced tangible results, including the restoration of the saiga population. He added that the number of snow leopards in Kazakhstan has more than doubled, reaching around 190 individuals. In cooperation with international partners, Kazakhstan is also working on the reintroduction and recovery of other rare species.
The large-scale restoration of forests, he added, remains one of the priorities of Kazakhstan’s environmental agenda.