Astana, Kazakhstan - 23 April 2026 – His Excellency Ambassador Berik Aryn, Director General of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), participated as a speaker in the high-level side event “Global Climate Change and Sustainable Development in the CICA Region,” held on the margins of the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana.
Organized under the Chairmanship of Azerbaijan with the support of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Secretariat, the event convened ministers, senior officials, and international partners to address shared climate challenges and strengthen regional cooperation.
In his remarks, the Director General underscored that climate change is a systemic challenge with direct implications for food security, agricultural productivity, and rural livelihoods across the region. He highlighted IOFS efforts in advancing climate-smart agriculture, sustainable water management, and capacity building, including initiatives on drought-resilient crops, digital irrigation solutions, and regional cooperation.
He further emphasized the importance of adopting a Water–Food–Ecosystem Nexus approach, particularly in transboundary contexts such as Central Asia and the Aral Sea basin, and called for stronger collaboration to scale up practical, high-impact solutions.
Ambassador Aryn also highlighted the importance of strengthening global water governance and expressed support for the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to establish a United Nations International Water Organization, calling on partners to advance coordinated international action in this area.
The discussion also contributed to advancing dialogue on the establishment of a CICA Environmental Council to enhance knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and capacity building among Member States.
The IOFS reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with CICA and its Member States to promote integrated approaches to climate resilience, sustainable resource management, and food security.
