BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 2. Uzbekistan officially
launched a new biosafety initiative funded by the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) to enhance the country's regulatory,
technical, and institutional capacity to manage biosafety risks,
Trend reports via the
Uzbek Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.


The project, titled “Implementation of a National Biosafety
System in Uzbekistan in Accordance with the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety,” was launched on June 2 during Eco Expo Central Asia
2026, marking the start of a project aimed at strengthening the
country's national biosafety system in line with international
standards under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.


The launch event brought together senior government officials
and representatives of international organizations, including
Presidential Adviser on Environmental Issues and Chairman of the
National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov,
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Director
General Grethel Aguilar, GEF and Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) official Jeffrey Griffin, and Asad Naqvi, director of the
Implementation Support Unit of the Convention on Biological
Diversity Secretariat.


Speaking at the event, Abdukhakimov said the initiative extends
beyond environmental protection and is closely linked to
Uzbekistan’s economic development and trade integration goals.


"As Uzbekistan advances toward accession to the World Trade
Organization, establishing a transparent, science-based biosafety
system that meets international standards for agricultural trade
and sanitary measures is becoming increasingly important," he
said.


Officials also highlighted the country's strategic location
along major Eurasian transit routes, noting that cross-border
movement of living modified organisms presents growing regulatory
and environmental challenges. Strengthening laboratory capacity,
monitoring systems, and border controls was identified as a key
priority.







According to organizers, the project will support the
modernization of biosafety legislation and policies, improve
interagency coordination, expand technical and laboratory
capabilities, and strengthen systems for risk assessment,
monitoring, and management of living modified organisms.


On the sidelines of the event, the National Committee on Ecology
and Climate Change, the IUCN, and the FAO signed a Statement of
Intent aimed at expanding cooperation on biodiversity conservation,
biosafety, sustainable natural resource management, climate
resilience, and ecosystem restoration.


The partners pledged to work together to strengthen national
capacities, improve institutional coordination, promote scientific
and technical cooperation, and support the adoption of
international environmental and biosafety standards.


Participants emphasized the importance of international
partnerships and GEF-supported mechanisms in helping countries
translate global environmental commitments into practical national
policies and actions.