A regional consultative meeting of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was held in Ashgabat on November 30 - December 1, 2024, to discuss the establishment of a UN Special Program for the Aral Sea Basin countries.

The proposal to create a UN Special Program for the Aral Sea Basin countries was first put forward in 2012 by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan. At the 79th session of ESCAP in Bangkok in May 2023, a resolution on "Considering the conditions for the establishment of a special United Nations program for the Aral Sea basin" was unanimously adopted at the initiative of Turkmenistan. It was on the basis of this resolution that the meeting was held.

The event was attended by representatives of ministries and agencies of Central Asian countries, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, UN specialized agencies, as well as experts in the fields of water resources, natural disasters, and climate.

The purpose of the meeting was to assess the current progress and identify new opportunities to strengthen regional cooperation on water resources and natural disasters in the Aral Sea basin on the basis of the UN Special Program for the Aral Sea.

Participants discussed the terms and formats for the establishment of a UN Special Program for the Aral Sea Basin.

As a result of the meeting, further steps were agreed upon. The adopted document will be presented at the 81st session of ESCAP, which will be held in Bangkok from April 21 to 25, 2025.