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13 May 2022
British Ambassador to Tajikistan visits School Feeding Programme in Khatlon Region
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03 May 2022
UN Secretary-General Video Message for World Press Freedom Day
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Press Release
26 April 2022
Our use of sand brings us “up against the wall”, says UNEP report
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The Sustainable Development Goals in Tajikistan
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Tajikistan:
Press Release
02 April 2021
UNDAF Joint Steering Committee Meeting takes place in Dushanbe
The Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations met today to review achievements against national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals and to discuss upcoming development cooperation plans. The meeting was convened by Mr. Zavqizoda Zavqi Amin, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, and Ms. Sezin Sinanoglu, UN Resident Coordinator who together co-chair the National Joint Steering Committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of the United National Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 2016-2022).*
The meeting reviewed the UN’s contribution during 2020 to sustainable development in both the COVID-19 response as well as across the pillars of the UNDAF: democratic governance, rule of law and human rights; inclusive and sustainable economic development; social development (health, education, and social protection) and access to quality services; inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable groups; and environmental sustainability.
In 2020, in partnership with the Government, the UN in Tajikistan provided:
more than 3.5 million individuals with essential health services
more than 2.5 million children and vulnerable households with food assistance
more than 2 million children with distance learning support
more than 20,000 women with reproductive health services during a time when all health services were stretched to the limit
dedicated support to those experiencing gender-based violence
support through cash assistance, food packages, and documentation to almost 10,000 refugees and stateless people,
support through transportation and food packages to more than 3,000 Tajik migrants stranded abroad
on the job training on digitalization, grants for startups, and job creation to almost 4,000 people (42% women and 37% youth) and more than 900 small businesses affected by COVID
The major UNDAF results achieved represent a joint commitment and collaborative efforts between the UN Agencies and the Government of Tajikistan:
adoption of Law on Legal Aid in 2020 (20% of the budget of the free legal aid system covered by the state budget)
development and ensuring SDG mainstreaming in MoEDT and other key strategic documents,
Net enrolment ratio (NER) in pre-primary education, children between the ages of 36–59 months (SDG 4.2.2) 15.9% (school year 19-20);
providing access to essential health services for up to 80 % of the general population;
increasing access and coverage of vulnerable groups of the population to protective programs by 60%;
providing hot meals up to 433,000 students (49% girls) in schools; 22,000 families of vulnerable school children receiving a special take-home ration;
development of a roadmap for ratification of CRPD adopted by the Government of RT on February 27, 2020, and
518,430 people (57% women) across 20 most vulnerable district benefiting from the disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation interventions;
Mr. Zavqizoda Zavqi, Minister of Economic Development and Trade expressed his gratitude to the UN for the partnership and support in the country’s development made possible due to the economic policy within the development agenda supported by the President of Tajikistan. Thanks to coordinated actions and the timely integrated response plan the average annual GDP growth was ensured at the level of at least 7% and GDP increased by 1.6 times and the poverty has been reduced from 31.3 percent to 26.3 percent despite the COVID-19 crisis and economic slowdown.
Ms. Sezin Sinanoglu, UN Resident Coordinator noted: “We have less than 10 years left to achieve all the 2030 Agenda targets that Tajikistan has established to eliminate poverty and food insecurity, achieve gender equality, fight climate change, and more. The full roll-out of the UN reform in Tajikistan has a focus on moving from the provision of development assistance to a partnership for sustainable development, and we look forward to enhanced cooperation in achieving results against these priorities and making this vision a reality in the next two years.
The full 2020 UN Annual Results Report for Tajikistan that illustrates the UN’s contribution to the advancement of the SDG will be available on 10 April 2021.
* The UNDAF is a strategic framework that draws on the full range of expertise and resources of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to deliver development results in response to national priorities as reflected in the National Development Strategy 2030, the Mid-term Development Programme 2021-2025 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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25 October 2021
National Workshop on SDG Financing in Tajikistan kicks off in Dushanbe
National Workshop on SDG Financing in Tajikistan kicks off in Dushanbe: experts discuss the innovative approaches in financing SDGs on the national level
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27 November 2020
'16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence' Launches in Tajikistan
Government, UN and EU launch 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.
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Story
04 April 2022
Women production groups taking the lead in Tajikistan
In Tajikistan, most of the population rely on agriculture and labour migration for a living. However, numerous studies have found that Tajik women farmers receive little reward or income in return for their labour. They traditionally have less access than men to productive resources, services, and opportunities, including land, financial services, and education. Dasturgul Ibrohimova, who lives in the remote district of Muminobod in Khatlon Region, is one of them.
Before COVID-19, Dasturgul and her family of four children relied mostly on remittances from her husband. Due to movement restrictions, her husband hasn’t been able to travel to Russia to find work. Their family plot has become the only source of income.
In 2020, with the financial support of Japan Association for the World Food Programme (JAWFP), WFP launched a women’s production groups project in 21 districts of the country, including Muminobod District, the homeland of Dasturgul. The project was implemented by NGO Caritas Switzerland. Dasturgul was among the first group of participants in the project. With the knowledge she acquired, she formed a production group consisting of six women from her village.
“We started this business by renting one hectare of land plot from an owner. It was hard to prepare the land for cultivation. Even my husband had hesitation about our plans and refused to help me. The plot was not used for a long time which meant more efforts were required from us to transform it into a cultivation farm,” says Dasturgul.
“For the first time, in August, we planted chickpeas with the seeds I received from WFP, but we harvested almost nothing. The knowledge we received was not enough for our climate and we also realized that it was not the right season to plant. We tried the second time in April next year. Thanks God, we harvested good products and used them for our consumption and sold the extra in the market. Before this project, what we managed to harvest was not even enough for our own consumption. We are now planning to expand this activity by renting additional plots,” says Dasturgul.
Through this project, Dasturgul learned how to increase farm productivity with good agricultural practices, such as integrated soil fertility management. She was also taught business strategies to help her market and sell her crops.
Some 90 women in 21 districts of the country took part in the project. WFP ensured rural women like Dasturgul were included so that they could have an equal opportunity to improve their food security and income.
Within this project, every production group was provided with tablets, and women participants created a WhatsApp group to keep in touch and share their experience and tips and offer each other support.
“We know how to store agricultural products, how to use fertilizers, and the need to follow recommendations from agricultural experts. Now, I can tell with confidence that in my district, it is possible to harvest more than one time. For this, I want to thank JAWFP and WFP for their support,” concluded Dasturgul.
Contributor: Nasrullo Ramazonov, WFP
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Story
08 March 2022
Op-Ed for the Secretary-General: “A Sustainable Feminist Recovery”
As the world moves ahead to mark International Women’s Day, the clock on women’s rights is moving backwards. All of us are paying the price.
The cascading crises of recent years have highlighted how women’s leadership is more crucial than ever.
Women have heroically confronted the COVID-19 pandemic as doctors, nurses, and public health and social care workers.
But at the same time, women and girls have been the first to lose out on jobs or schooling, taking on more unpaid care work, and facing skyrocketing levels of domestic and cyber abuse and child marriage.
The pandemic has highlighted even more starkly an age-old truth: the roots of patriarchy run deep. We still live in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture.
As a result, in good times or bad, women are more likely to fall into poverty. Their healthcare is sacrificed and their education and opportunities are curtailed.
And in countries enduring conflict — as we see from Ethiopia to Afghanistan to Ukraine -- women and girls are the most vulnerable but also the most compelling voices for peace.
As we look to the future, a sustainable and equal recovery for all is only possible if it is a feminist recovery — one that puts progress for girls and women at its centre.
We need economic progress through targeted investments in women’s education, employment, training and decent work. Women should be first in line for the 400 million jobs we are called to create by 2030.
We need social progress through investments in social protection systems and the care economy. Such investments yield huge dividends, creating green, sustainable jobs, while supporting members of our societies that need assistance, including children, older people and the sick.
We need financial progress, to reform a morally bankrupt global financial system, so all countries can invest in a woman-centred economic recovery. This includes debt relief and fairer tax systems that channel some of the massive pockets of wealth around the world to those who need it most.
We need urgent, transformative climate action, to reverse the reckless increase in emissions and gender inequalities that have left women and girls disproportionately vulnerable. Developed countries must urgently deliver on their commitments on finance and technical support for a just transition from fossil fuels. The successful, stable economies of the future will be green, gender-inclusive and sustainable.
We need more women in leadership in government and business, including finance ministers and CEOs, developing and implementing green and socially progressive policies that benefit all their people.
We know, for example, that having more women in parliaments is linked with stronger climate commitments and higher levels of investment in healthcare and education.
We need political progress through targeted measures that ensure women’s equal leadership and representation at all levels of political decision-making, through bold gender quotas.
Gender inequality is essentially a question of power. Uprooting centuries of patriarchy demands that power is equally shared across every institution, at every level.
At the United Nations, we have achieved — for the first time in the organization’s history — gender parity in senior management at headquarters and around the world. This has dramatically improved our ability to better reflect and represent the communities we serve.
Every step of the way, we can take inspiration from women and girls pushing for progress in every sphere and every corner of our globe.
Young women climate campaigners are leading global efforts to pressure governments to live up to their commitments.
Women’s rights activists are bravely demanding equality and justice, and building more peaceful societies as peacekeepers, peacemakers and humanitarians in some of the world’s trouble zones and beyond.
In societies where women’s rights movements are vibrant, democracies are stronger.
When the world invests in expanding opportunities for women and girls, all of humanity wins.
As a matter of justice, equality, morality and plain common sense, we need to turn the clock forward on women’s rights.
We need a sustainable, feminist recovery centred around — and driven by — women and girls.
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07 March 2022
Women in law enforcement are better at defusing tensions and easily gain the trust of the communities with whom they work
UN in Tajikistan cooperates with the Government of Tajikistan on addressing national priorities to better serve the needs of the people of Tajikistan with a focus on those vulnerable.
To promote resilience and ensure sustainability, the UN works on strengthening state capacity to confront threats from transnational organized crime, promotion of balanced, comprehensive, and evidence-based approaches to the drug problem, crime prevention, building effective criminal justice systems. Prevention of violent extremism and radicalization, as well as legislative reforms related to terrorism prevention, are also among these groups of activities that altogether contribute to achieving national development strategies and the SDGs.
To mark International Women’s Day, UNODC in Central Asia spoke to Lieutenant Colonel of the Customs Service of the Republic of Tajikistan Zarina Abrorova about the role of women in law enforcement and their agency’s cooperation with UNODC.
Zarina Abrorova is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Customs Service. She is Chief Inspector of the Department of Countering Customs Offences of the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and has been working at the customs service for over 20 years.
“The work is challenging, and it is not always easy,” says Ms. Abrorova. “Sometimes, when I reflect on what brought me into the service, I realize that my choice of profession was initially spontaneous, but that, over the years, through gaining more experience and seeing the great importance of this work for society, I discovered that I have a feeling for it, that I belong here, and most of all, here I can be useful to people. Today I cannot imagine being without my work and our amazing team.”
In Zarina’s opinion, it is absolutely critical to have women working in law enforcement, including the customs service.
“It is important that women officers work with women who have been subjected to violence. Communication with women officers will be easier for these women, they will feel much more comfortable sharing their concerns and problems. It can prevent even greater psychological trauma from being inflicted on them. In any situation, women often feel more at ease with women officers and prefer to communicate with them,” she explains, adding, “we are not any different in our professional competencies from men, and we are equally successful in our work.”
From Zarina’s observations, women in law enforcement often tend to be patient, persistent and dedicated which helps them creatively and effectively fulfill their official duties. As a rule, they are more inclined to adopt a peaceful approach, they are better at defusing tensions and thereby preventing conflicts. They easily gain the trust of the communities with whom they work.
“During the pandemic,” remembers Zarina, “due to border closures, the decrease in passenger and cargo movements did not lower our workload but rather required us to stay vigilant. We conducted an extensive awareness-raising campaign to prevent the spread of the disease among the population.”
“The Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has been cooperating with UNODC for many years,” says Zarina. “We have participated in many events and training courses under the Cross-Border Cooperation Project, including the Border Liaison Offices’ Initiative. Under this project, we have strengthened interagency and transborder cooperation and intelligence-sharing with the neighboring countries that help us ensure border security effectively, conduct joint operations, and take proactive measures to prevent crime. Even during the pandemic, we took part in a number of trainings conducted by UNODC via videoconferencing in which experienced trainers and experts participated. The project encourages and promotes the meaningful participation of women officers in all its activities, contributing to their empowerment.”
Zarina says that in Tajikistan many women work in the country’s customs service making their contribution to ensuring the further socio-economic development and security of the state. For her personally, it is gratifying to see that, every year, more and more women are joining the customs service.
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07 July 2021
Tajik women’s solidarity builds stronger households
“I am 46, and I am a successful entrepreneur, a mother of four kids and a wife of a wonderful husband”-, says Sitoramoh Tojiddinova, a Tajik woman-farmer from Nurobod district. “I married early, in my 18 - being almost a child, having limited education, knowing nothing about home making or taking care of kids. I was lost at some point, without without proper skills and knowledge and the idea where to go, but at that stage, it was my mother-in-law who strongly supported me, and it was her, who taught me the skills to maintain the decent life in the farm and manage the family life. I cherish this experience up to today – it helped me with the business that I am running now.”
As agriculture is the main source of food and income in the rural areas of Tajikistan, Sitoramoh and her family were growing potatoes for own consumption, until one day in 2020, and it was her husband who encouraged her to become a member of a farmer’s cooperative established in their area. “The cooperative is provided with seeds and supported with inputs - this may increase our harvest and we may sell potatoes for living,” he argued. First, she was hesitant to join, as she did not have any experience, but she knew that supported by her husband she could manage. She was convinced.
“In Tajikistan, the husband’s and his men’s relatives support is always crucial when it comes to women’s active participation in agricultural production at various levels of the value chain, including selling goods. Social norms limit women’s empowerment and they are either discouraged by family members or choose themselves not to engage with public bodies. This complicates the process of registering farming enterprises, applying for loans, paying taxes on land or livestock, taking part in training and accessing extension services, in addition to other activities associated with agricultural production. FAO in Tajikistan with financing from the European Union support smallholder farmers through practical training to produce and market agricultural products, benefitting from storage facilities, provision of machinery and other services. Participation of women and their empowerment is mandatory, but not always easy to accomplish. ‘Sitoramoh was able to join the initiative, because she was fully supported by the family and her spouse”-, says Masuda Saidova, FAO National project manager.
In addition to training, EU funds were also used by FAO to distribute quality potato seeds, which was of a crucial importance, as it is very hard to find such quality seed during sowing season in Tajikistan. The idea is to multiply the high-quality potato seed, which have a much higher yield than seed potatoes usually used in the country, in the rural communities to ensure greater food security and incomes of rural families. In May 2020, Sitoramoh received one ton of high-quality potato seed “Red Scarlett” and planted it on 0.20 hectares of land. Her family harvested about 23 tons of potatoes and returned 3 tons of seeds back to the cooperative for the next sowing campaign that are stored in a warehouse, as of the rules of the cooperative agreement. The next campaign will support other women and men in the community.
“I consider it having a ‘triple’ effect- the food that you secure for your table, the money that you get for the rest of the crop and the solidarity that you learn from helping each other. This is what my mother-in-law once taught me to do”-, smiles Sitoramoh. She hopes that more women will join agricultural cooperatives, and she acknowledges the power of women getting together.
Being part of the joint forces, also helped farmers to get a stronger voice in the supply chain and benefit from economies of scale through bulk purchase of inputs (seed, fertilizer, chemicals) and sales of products. Cooperatives mainly offer networks of mutual support and solidarity that allow to improve self-resilience, collectively negotiate better terms for contracts, prices, process and access to a wide resources and services.
“Last year, during a period of fertilizer shortages and skyrocketing prices we jointly purchased fertilizers which resulted in cost savings for farmers. We had an opportunity to get 20% discount for bulk purchasing of fertilizers,”-, emphasized Sitoramoh. “In the past, as individual farmers we had little bargaining or purchasing power.”
Cooperative membership has a particularly strong positive impact on women’s decision-making opportunities at the household, group and community levels. Sitoramoh acknowledges the potential and strength of it as a path to overall women’s empowerment.
Activities related to the strengthening agricultural cooperatives are part of the project “Strengthening institutions and capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and State Veterinary Inspection Service for policy formulation”, funded by the European Union. The main objective of the project is to assist the Government of Tajikistan in institutional reforms of the agricultural sector, including food security and safety.
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11 February 2021
Enhanced livelihoods of rural Tajik families help overcome the COVID-19 crisis
Ehanced livelihoods of rural Tajik families help overcome the COVID-19 crisis
28 January 2021, Dushanbe – Agriculture has a central place in the culture of mountainous Tajikistan. In fact, more than 60 percent of Tajik people work in agriculture, cultivating the country’s arable land that extends over 850 thousand hectares.
The Nurobod district, located in the Rasht valley, boasts beautiful landscapes with high agricultural biodiversity that contributes to its resilient ecosystems. Yet, like in other rural areas, the life here has its beauties and hardships alike.
“It is a hard time now for everyone, including farmers, doctors, teachers, and other rural residents due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation,” said Bukhori Saidov, a farmer, who benefitted from a European Union-funded FAO project. “However, I think we are very lucky, because at the beginning of the crisis, when all borders were closed and no one could enter or leave, we got tremendous support as members of the Nuri Nurobod cooperative.”
Bukhori Saidov is not only a member of the Nuri Nurobod cooperative, which was established in early 2020, but he is also a paramedic in charge of the medical station in the Obi Lurd village in the northern Nurobod district that serves more than 3 500 people. He is married and father of six children. Bukhori has about six hectares of land in Javchi and Kahbit areas, both in the highlands, where he is engaged in crop production and horticulture, as well as livestock production.
Turning a challenge into a possibility
“When I got married and my children were born, life became challenging as it was hard to maintain the family with my monthly wage. At that time, I decided to do something else,” recalls Bukhori. I don’t come from a farmer family, my father worked in the law enforcement, and haven’t practice traditional farming before. Still, I knew that agriculture can be a good solution and ensure a sustainable income and better livelihood for my family.”
Bukhori was eager to learn. Every day, he spent six to seven hours on working and learning in the field for his idea and ambitions to flourish. Bukhori tried to explore the intricacies of this sphere. He observed similarities between humans and plants, since growing plants is similar to humans; they both can get sick and need treatment.
The light at the end of the tunnel
When Bukhori Saidov found out about a cooperative being established in Nurobod district with additional benefits, including distribution of a quality potato seed, construction of a storage facility, and further opportunities, he immediately decided to be part of it. He understood that this initiative can improve potato seed availability and improve the food security of the rural population, particularly important during the COVID-19 crisis. Because the high yield potato seeds enable small-scale farmers to increase productivity and will result in greater availability of potatoes for local consumption, Bukhori grew very enthusiastic.
“It is difficult to find high quality potato seeds due to limited availability and high price, especially when the demand for seed is high ahead of the planting season. In addition to this, other challenges such as access to quality pesticides, fertilizers, and other inputs often prevent farmers from attaining higher yields,” pointed out Bukhori. “For the past several years, we have usually planted the Picasso variety potato seed that had better yields in comparison with the local potato varieties. Actually, I harvested no more than 25–30 tonnes of potato per hectare.”
As part of the project supported by the European Union, cooperatives in Nurobod and Shahristan districts received a Dutch potato seed called Red Scarlet. With expert know-how provided by FAO, both cooperatives promoted potato seed banks, so local farmers had an opportunity to learn about innovative approaches for producing potato seeds. Training sessions were organized for members of the cooperatives on the advanced technologies of potato growing, fertilizing methods, and developing irrigation schemes.
“I received 1 tonne of elite seed potato Red Scarlett and planted it on 0.24 hectares, from which I harvested over 30 tonnes of potatoes. This was the best result and I am very proud of this achievement. I gave 3 tonnes of seed potatoes to the cooperative for the next sowing campaign that are now stored in a warehouse. The rest of the harvest is for our own consumption and part of it I sell as there are many buyers who are interested in this potato variety,” said Bukhori during the interview.
“It is a very delicious variety of potato with a good yield, and if we do growing, fertilizing, and irrigation properly, we all can have a record harvest." ©FAO/Bunafsha Azimova
Good prospects for the future
The project will continue to support cooperatives’ development. In the future, logistical centers will be built to provide cooperatives with sorting and processing equipment, ensuring farmers with access to machinery and other services, and improve product marketing.
“It is a very delicious variety of potato with a good yield, and if we do growing, fertilizing, and irrigation properly, we all can have a record harvest. I hope for positive changes with the support of the cooperative. Next year, I intend to expand the area for planting this seed potato.”
The EU-funded project is supporting Tajikistan’s agriculture reform programme, which aims to foster and support farmers’ economic and social growth. It also encourages establishment and development of effective and efficient cooperatives.
Last year two cooperative unions in Nurobod and Shahriston districts received 60 tonnes of Red Scarlet potato seeds from the Netherlands, incorporated altogether 60 farmers as members. The total costs for purchasing seed potato was USD 90 000 and overall the farmers received 803 tonnes of potato, from which 482 tonnes are seed potato of the first reproduction.
LINKS:
FAO, EU provide 60 tonnes of potato seeds to Tajik farmers
http://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/en/c/1274360/
Stronger linkages of cities and rural areas back efficient food systems in Tajikistan
http://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/en/c/1365924/
GEF allotment helps Azerbaijan and Tajikistan
http://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/en/c/1364299/
Ensuring quality seeds when the need is greatest
http://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail-news/en/c/1331170/
Matching grants help migrants’ businesses take off in Tajikistan
http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1287874/
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For video, photos, audio clips contact: (+39) 06 570 53625 or FAO-newsroom@fao.org.
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Press Release
13 May 2022
British Ambassador to Tajikistan visits School Feeding Programme in Khatlon Region
In Tajikistan, WFP has been supporting the Government to provide school meals to children since 1999. Today, WFP continues playing a critical role – from supplying food, strengthening institutional capacities, to modernizing the school feeding system, including construction of school canteens, bakeries and greenhouses.
In his meetings with WFP and the education authorities of Khatlon, the Ambassador learned about how parents, schools and the local government are coming together to sure the sustainable development of the programme.
The Ambassador also visited a bakery in Yovon District, one of eight bakeries in Khatlon and Sughd regions renovated or constructed by WFP and the private sector. The bakeries supply fresh bread daily to 115,000 students enrolled in school feeding.
This year, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the Government of the United Kingdom contributed £1 million funding to school feeding in Tajikistan. Last week, representatives from FCDO also visited schools in Ayni district, Sughd Region. Donor support and funding is absolutely critical in sustaining the programme, which provides regular nutritious meals to 450,000 students in grades 1-4 in 2,000 schools across the country.
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Press Release
26 April 2022
Our use of sand brings us “up against the wall”, says UNEP report
Geneva, 26 April 2022 – 50 billion tons: enough to build a wall 27 metres wide and 27 metres high around planet Earth. This is the volume of sand and gravel used each year, making it the second most used resource worldwide after water. Given our dependency on it, sand must be recognised as a strategic resource and its extraction and use needs to be rethought, finds a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report, Sand and Sustainability: 10 strategic recommendations to avert a crisis, released today by UNEP’s GRID-Geneva team, provides the necessary guidance gathered from world experts to switch to improved practices for the resource’s extraction and management.
Extracting sand where it plays an active role, such as rivers, and coastal or marine ecosystems, can lead to erosion, salination of aquifers, loss of protection against storm surges and impacts on biodiversity, which pose a threat to livelihoods through, among other things, water supply, food production, fisheries, or to the tourism industry.
According to the report’s authors, sand must be recognised as a strategic resource, not only as a material for construction, but also for its multiple roles in the environment. They stress that governments, industries and consumers should price sand in a way that recognises its true social and environmental value. For example, keeping sand on coasts may be the most cost-effective strategy for adapting to climate change due to how it protects against storm surges and impacts from sea level rise - such services should be factored into its value.
An international standard on how sand is extracted from the marine environment should also be developed, the report proposes. This could bring about dramatic improvements as most marine dredging is done through public tenders open to international companies. Meanwhile, the report recommends that the extraction of sand from beaches be banned due to its importance for coastal resilience, the environment and the economy.
“To achieve sustainable development, we need to drastically change the way we produce, build and consume products, infrastructures and services. Our sand resources are not infinite, and we need to use them wisely. If we can get a grip on how to manage the most extracted solid material in the world, we can avert a crisis and move toward a circular economy,” said Pascal Peduzzi, Director of GRID-Geneva at UNEP and overall programme coordinator for this report.
Infrastructure, homes, food and nature at stake
Sand is critical to economic development, needed to produce concrete and build vital infrastructure ranging from homes and roads to hospitals. By providing habitats and breeding grounds for diverse flora and fauna, sand also plays a vital function in supporting biodiversity, including marine plants that act as carbon sinks or filter water. The resource will be crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. However, it is being used faster than it can be naturally replenished, so its responsible management is crucial.
A circular economy is within reach
The authors note that solutions exist for moving towards a circular economy for sand, including banning the landfilling of mineral waste and encouraging sand to be reused in public procurement contracts are among the policy measures cited. Crushed rock or recycled construction and demolition material, as well as ‘ore-sand’ from mine tailings are among the viable alternatives to sand that should also be incentivised, the report details.
They add that new institutional and legal structures are needed for sand to be more effectively governed and best practices shared and implemented. Sand resources must furthermore be mapped, monitored and reported on, the report recommends. Meanwhile, all stakeholders must be involved in decisions related to the management of sand to allow for place-based approaches and avoid one-size-fits-all solutions, the paper stresses.
The report follows a resolution on Mineral resource governance adopted at the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) that called for actions on sustainable sand management. This mandate was confirmed at UNEA-5 in 2022 in the new resolution titled Environmental aspects of minerals and metals management, adopted by all member states.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the UN Environment Programme
The UN Environment Programme is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
For more information, please contact:
Alejandro Laguna, Information Officer, UNEP Europe Office, +41 766910848
Pascal Peduzzi, Director, GRID-Geneva, UNEP, +41 (0)22 917 82 37
Pascal Peduzzi, Director, GRID-Geneva, UNEP, +41 (0)22 917 82 37
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Press Release
14 April 2022
The official handing-over ceremony of the dignity kits for the families of Afghan refugees in Tajikistan
The handing-over ceremony attended by Mr. Paul Robbins, Regional Portfolio Manager for Central Asia (UK CSSF), Mr. Yu Yu UNFPA Representative in Uzbekistan and Country Director in Tajikistan, Ms. Nargis Rakhimova- UNFPA Tajikistan Head of Office, Ms. Roza Minasyan, International Protection Officer UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Mr. Musovir Bahoduri, representative of the community of Afghan refugees in Tajikistan “Ariana”, as well as officers of the above organizations and media representatives.
Mr. Yu Yu- «UNFPA would like to extend its sincere appreciation to UK CSSF, the Government of Tajikistan and UNHCR for providing funding and support to help women and girls at risk of violence, and the community of Afghan refugees for its strong commitment for the delivery of our dignity kits down to communities».
Mr. Paul Robbins - «UK CSSF funded the great work that UNFPA has carried out in strengthening the national capacities across the Central Asia in prevention and responses to the violence against women. This project has been important in development and operationalization Standard Operational Procedures, protocol and packages in health, psychosocial and police services and they are promoting a multi-sectoral support to GBV. The project has paid a special attention to the integrating the need of the vulnerable groups».
Ms. Roza Minasyan - «This support is very important because without WASH and sanitation there is a high risk of the spread of the diseases among households and communities. It is very timely to provide the dignity kits to Afghan families, women and children. This is a good start and we will continue our efforts in mobilizing funds and covering the needs, because the needs are increasing in these challenging times».
Mr. Musovir Bahoduri - «On behalf of all Afghan refugees based in Tajikistan, I want to thank for your humanitarian support and I want to thank the leadership of the country for their support and shelter».
The dignity kits include toothbrush and paste, underwear, thread and needle, shampoos, soap, towel, comb, washing powder, sanitary napkins, toilet paper, pads and other essentials.
This support is essential for Afghan refugee women and children in crisis situations. Assistance will be provided to the most vulnerable refugee families who arrived during 2021.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
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Disclaimer: This project is implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with financial assistance from the UK Government. Views expressed during project events and / or in the project publications do not necessarily reflect the official views of the UK Government or UNFPA.
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Press Release
15 April 2022
Introduction of new methods and tools for drug use disorders diagnostics and treatment discussed in Dushanbe
The event brought together some 20 experts from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Tajikistan (MHSPP); state agencies: Republican Clinical Drug Addiction Center named after Professor M.Gh. Ghulomov under MHSPP, National Drug Addiction Monitoring and Prevention Center under MHSPP, National Center for AIDS Prevention and Control under MHSPP and UNODC representatives.
“This meeting can be considered as a logical continuation of activities on improving access to quality drug dependence treatment services which have been implemented in the country since 2010 with technical support from UNODC. The meeting aims to strengthen further the capacity in drug dependence treatment and care service delivery, monitoring and research at the national level,” said Mr. Mustafa Erten, Head of the UNODC Programme Office in Tajikistan, in his opening remarks.
Mr. Borikhan Shaumarov, UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia’s Senior Programme Officer, made a presentation on the successful experience of introducing UNODC/WHO quality assurance and mapping tools for drug treatment services in Central Asia. He also informed the participants of the progress achieved towards introducing selected courses of the Universal Treatment Curriculum for Substance Use Disorders (UTC training package).
National experts made presentations on the results of piloting international quality assurance tools for drug treatment services and the research on mapping existing and potential drug dependency treatment services in Tajikistan.
The participants were also informed of the outcomes of the Stop Overdose Safely (S-O-S) initiative implementation in Tajikistan.
The presentations were followed by a discussion of recommendations on mechanisms of incorporating piloted tools for the diagnostics and treatment of drug use disorders into the national system of drug treatment services.
The round table meeting was conducted within the UNODC’s global project GLOJ71 “Treating drug dependence and its health consequences: Treatnet II” funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), in collaboration with Sub-programme 3 “Addressing drug use, increasing treatment of drug use disorders and preventing HIV/AIDS” of the UNODC Programme for Central Asia 2022-2025.
For further information, please contact:
Nurangez Abdulhamidova
Communication and External Relations Officer
UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia (Dushanbe)
Email: nurangez.abdulhamidova[at]un.org
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Press Release
11 April 2022
Tajikistan receives food aid in support of WFP’s school feeding programme
“This assistance was made possible thanks to a targeted contribution by the Russian Federation to the WFP in the amount of US$ 2 million. Nutritious school meals are essential for children’s health, development and academic success. We are pleased to support the younger generation of friendly Tajikistan,” said Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Igor Semenovich Lyakin-Frolov.
“Through WFP’s school meals programme, Tajik children, particularly those from rural, poor households, are provided with the nutrients they need to grow, learn and develop. With needs rising, especially due to COVID-19 fallouts, Tajik children and their families need continued support. We are very grateful that our efforts have been supported genereosouly by the Russian Federation,” said WFP Reresentative and Country Director in Tajikistan, Adham Musallam.
The School Feeding Programme is WFP’s largest operation in Tajikistan. Under the programme, 50 school canteens have been repaired and equipped with modern equipment, and in the premises, nine greenhouse farms, five bakeries and one food processing plant are now operating. Additionally, eight private bakeries have been equipped and also supplies to local schools.
This month, more food supplies, including 1,481.50 mt of wheat flour, cooking oil and yellow peas, will arrive.
Some 2,000 schools in 52 districts and cities of the country are enrolled in the school feeding programme. In 2021, educational institutions in Tajikistan received almost 7,000 mt of food, benefitting 440,000 schoolchildren.
Since 2013, the Russian Federation has been supporting the school feeding programme in Tajikistan, with a total of US$ 82.1 million contribution, to date.
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
Russia is a strategic partner of Tajikistan in the field of humanitarian assistance. Since 2005, the Russian Federation has allocated US$ 90.5 million to provide food assistance, US$ 54 million of which has gone towards the school feeding programme.
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