On 20 November 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopted a resolution dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA). The resolution was co-sponsored by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The UNGA resolution emphasizes the important role of SPECA as a regional program that promotes mutual understanding, economic cooperation, and regional development of the member states.
The document notes the progress achieved in the Central Asian countries, their integration with economies of Europe and Asia and their contribution to global economic growth.
The resolution also calls on SPECA countries to explore the possibility of establishing a United Nations multipartner trust fund for the effective and timely mobilization of financial resources for the implementation of projects under the Special Programm
The resolution also stressed the importance of further development of regional cooperation among the Central Asian countries for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and advancing good-neighbourly relations
The UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was established on 26 March 1998, by the Tashkent Declaration. This historic document was signed by the Presidents of the Central Asian countries and the Executive Secretaries of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The UNECE and ESCAP jointly provide comprehensive support to the activities under the Program in close cooperation with the UN Permanent Coordinators in SPECA countries.
Azerbaijan is currently chairing the Program. SPECA Week is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 20 to 24 November 2023. The forum is discussing the important role of the region in the diversification of transit routes, digitalization, trade and transport development, as well as the implementation of SDGs. ///nCa, 22 November 2023