Samarkand – 2 June 2026
The Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) / 8th Working Group on Environment of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) convened in Samarkand, Republic of Uzbekistan, as a preparatory forum for the 6th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment.
The meeting brought together senior experts and environment officials from ECO Member States to conduct a detailed review of the substantive agenda items, including the draft ECO Cooperation Framework on the Environment (2026-2030) and its thematic Work Programmes on Climate Change and Biodiversity. The SOM also examined the outcomes of the first meeting of the ECO High-Level Dialogue Platform on Environmental Cooperation (HLDPE) and the progress of the Regional Initiative on Resource Efficiency, Sustainability, and Circular Economy (RESCUE).
The SOM successfully refined texts and forged consensus, thereby presenting a clear set of actionable recommendations for consideration and adoption by the Ministers on 3 June 2026. The meeting underscored the importance of regular technical‑level engagement to build up momentum on regional environmental cooperation.
