Kyiv under Russian missile attack as Ukraine war discussed at UN meeting
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meetin...
The inaugural Samarkand International Climate Forum will kick off on 4th April at the Silk Road Samarkand Congress Center in Uzbekistan. The high-profile forum will be held under the theme "Central Asia Facing Global Climate Challenges: Consolidation for Shared Prosperity."
"We hope that this forum will be a practical step towards creating the "Samarkand Dialogue for the Sake of the Future" to find answers to the global threats of sustainable development," stated the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The forum will bring together the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, alongside the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and host country Uzbekistan.
Experts say a coordinated regional response is essential, and Uzbekistan is positioning itself as a platform for dialogue and regional cooperation. In the same week, Uzbekistan is also hosting the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit, which “will solidify our commitment to work together for peace, security, and sustainable development in full respect of international law,” António Costa said ahead of the summit.
Policymakers, experts, and environmental activists will gather a strategic dialogue on climate change, renewable energy, integrated water resource management, and sustainable urban development, along with efforts to strengthen regional and international cooperation.
A key outcome of the forum will be the presentation of the Regional Green Development Concept, which outlines a unified approach to tackling climate change in Central Asia, in alignment with global best practices.
Topics of Discussion:
- The Green Economy as a Path to Sustainable Development
- Preserving Biodiversity and Natural Ecosystems in Central Asia in Response to Climate Challenges
- Clean Energy: The Foundation of Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Development
- Integrated Water Resource Management in the Context of Climate Change in Central Asia
- Youth: Looking to the Future with Optimism
- Sustainable Cities and Climate Challenges: Integrated Planning and Management
- Scientific Approaches and Innovative Solutions to Climate Change: Global Challenges and Local Strategies
As part of the forum, a special exhibition titled "A River Flowing in the Footsteps of Women" will be showcased. This exhibition will explore the intersection of social role transformations and environmental changes during the socialist development era through an intersectional lens.
One of the key sessions, “Sustainable Cities and Climate Challenges: Integrated Planning and Management," will focus on urban development and adaptation to climate change in a region known for its continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers.
“Sustainable urban development is a cornerstone in addressing climate challenges,” said Khalilillo Khamidov, deputy director of Uzbekistan’s Institute of Macroeconomics and Regional Research. “Uzbekistan is demonstrating its commitment through projects that enhance environmental resilience and introduce innovative technologies.”
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
Türkiye’s COP31 presidency has unveiled an action agenda designed to turn climate commitments into concrete projects and measurable results, focusing on clean energy, waste reduction, resilient cities and industrial decarbonisation.
Greenland and Antarctica have shed a combined 11.3 trillion tonnes of ice since 1979, according to the most comprehensive satellite study of the planet's ice sheets to date, with researchers warning the pace of loss has accelerated sharply in recent decades.
The European Union will continue allowing large-scale plastic waste exports to Türkiye despite concerns over recycling rates, environmental damage and the risk of illegal waste trafficking.
Hundreds of thousands of deep-diving turtles, known as olive ridley sea turtles, have arrived on Mexico’s southern coast for one of nature’s most striking nesting events. But conservation officials warn that climate change is making it increasingly difficult for their eggs to hatch.
August 2026 tied as the hottest month ever recorded globally, pushing average temperatures above the critical 1.5°C threshold as extreme weather swept across several regions, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said.
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