Secretariat - Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities

An objective of this project, from its onset, was the assistance to the countries in operationalising the Agreement on Utilization of the Water Facilities of Interstate Use on the Chu and Talas Rivers. As a result, the inter-state Commission was established and the OSCE assisted in:

• drafting documents that defined the status of commission, its functions, responsibilities and rights;
• developing procedures;
• preparing basic documents for co-funding and the repair, maintenance and operation of multi-purpose water facilities.

This framework included the work of mediation to reach consensus between the governments of both countries. Together with the UNECE and other partners, the OSCE emphasise capacity-building elements of the committee by providing training for staff members.

The project so far amounts to 227,000 euros.

The OSCE also continues to support the Interstate Committee for Water Coordination (ICWC) in Central Asia in a capacity-building project, with a strong emphasis on regional co-operation, promotion of policies on water management and environmental sustainability in the region.

• In collaboration with the ICWC, the OSCE is working on seminars to improve the economic mechanisms related to water management and improve environmental conditions to promote co-operation in the region.
• Further training is planned in order to raise awareness of international legal instruments in the sphere of water management and share good legal practices and experiences to improve regional co-operation.

Under the ENVSEC Initiative, environmental assessments on the Amu Darya River and the Eastern Caspian are under way, with the Eastern Caspian assessment having been released in 2008. These assessments provide recommendations for direct responses to identified gaps and needs and will be further implemented through projects agreed with the relevant Central Asian States and other ENVSEC partners.