A press conference was held in Samarkand on the outcomes of the 21st session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (CRIC-21).

The press conference was attended by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Ibrahim Thiaw, the First Deputy Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Obidjon Kudratov, the Responsible Secretary of the Conference, Ksenia Sklenlon, the Head of the Department at the Serbian Institute of Public Health and an expert in the field, Biljana Kilibarda, as well as representatives of foreign delegations, local and international media.

"For the first time, the conference was organized at such a high level. The scale of the event in Samarkand and the relevance of the topics discussed will be remembered for a long time. Moreover, this year's conference had the highest number of participants," shared Ibrahim Thiaw. 
".We have discussed measures to improve the lives of millions of people, address pressing environmental issues, including drought, desertification, land degradation, and dust and sandstorms. At the same time, we have thoroughly enjoyed the Hospitality of the Uzbek people," added the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Ibrahim Thiaw emphasized that the discussions, proposed solutions, and agreements made during the conference will contribute to finding solutions to global problems that concern humanity.

During the five days, participants discussed issues related to the implementation of strategic goals in sustainable land management, increasing resilience to drought, supporting women's leadership in sustainable agriculture, financing activities aimed at preventing land degradation, and combating climate-induced forced migration.

"CRIC-21 became the first large-scale event in the world to address the issue of dust and sand storms," said Obidjon Kudratov. "During the session, we also discussed important topics such as sustainable land management, enhancing resilience to drought, and supporting women's leadership in sustainable agriculture. Additionally, we addressed the challenges and opportunities for financing land degradation and measures to prevent it, as well as the implementation of strategic goals in tackling climate-induced forced migration," added the First Deputy Minister.

It is worth noting that about 1000 participants took part in the conference, including representatives of Convention member states and the European Union, representatives of the United Nations and international organizations, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, and representatives of non-governmental organizations. CRIC-21 included about 40 parallel sessions where relevant topics were thoroughly discussed. The events showcased the best results in addressing global problems in the region and the world.

"This conference provided an opportunity for participating countries to exchange ideas and gain experience in jointly addressing common problems," said Biljana Kilibarda. "The topic is very relevant, and the issues raised are serious. During the conference, participating countries identified measures that they should implement in the future," added the expert.

During the press conference, it was proposed to consider the Samarkand Declaration on sand and dust storms, promoted by Uzbekistan, at the 16th Conference of the Parties to be held in Saudi Arabia in December 2024.

Negotiations, discussions, meetings, and agreements: the 21st session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (CRIC-21) was successfully held in Samarkand.