Astana – 23 April 2026
The Secretary-General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Dr. Asad M. Khan, today called on Member States to anchor regional environmental cooperation in the latest scientific knowledge and national priorities, as he addressed the first meeting of the ECO High-Level Dialogue Platform on Environmental Cooperation (HLDPE).
The HLDPE meeting, held on the margins of the Regional Ecological Summit (RES2026) in Astana, formally inaugurated a new interactive consultation mechanism for ECO Member States to exchange perspectives on shared environmental challenges, including pollution, biodiversity loss, and the adverse impacts of climate change.
“Environmental systems are changing faster than many of our policies. What worked five years ago may no longer be sufficient today,” Dr. Khan said. “The HLDPE is designed to be a knowledge bridge – translating the best available science, policy innovations and local expertise into actionable regional cooperation.”
The meeting brought together senior environment officials from ECO Member States in a hybrid highlevel roundtable. Participants identified priority thematic areas for continued dialogue, including transboundary air pollution, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and circular economy approaches.
The HLDPE was established by the 26th ECO Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting and will convene at least once a year, with its Chairmanship rotating annually among Member States in alphabetical order. The Republic of Uzbekistan, as initiator of the Platform, holds the first Chairmanship.
