30–31 May 2025 - Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan - The Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) participated in the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, held from 30 to 31 May 2025 in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan. This global gathering marked the flagship event of the United Nations-declared International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025.
The Conference was inaugurated by H.E. President Emomali Rahmon and opened with statements by Heads of State and Government, including Prime Ministers and Vice Presidents from across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. The plenary session was moderated by H.E. Qohir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan. Ministers and high-level representatives of countries and international organizations—such as UNESCO, WMO, ESCAP, UNICEF, ADB, AIIB, among others—delivered political statements reaffirming global commitment to preserving glaciers and climate resilience.
Ambassador Khusrav Noziri, Assistant Director-General of IOFS, delivered the official statement of the Organization during the Plenary Session. He underscored that glacier retreat is not merely an environmental concern but a fundamental threat to food security in many OIC Member States. He stressed the importance of safeguarding glacier-fed ecosystems that underpin agriculture, water availability, and livelihoods in vulnerable regions.
Amb. Noziri outlined IOFS’s commitment to advancing climate-resilient food systems through strategic initiatives across its Member States. He reaffirmed the Organization’s readiness to integrate glacier-related risks into food security policies and contribute to international efforts leading up to UNFCCC COP30.
On the sidelines of the event, Amb. Noziri held bilateral meetings with Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of ICESCO, Ms. Armida Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations ESCAP and Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, to explore joint initiatives on climate resilience, sustainable food systems, and youth empowerment in OIC countries.
In addition, Amb. Noziri gave interviews to local television media, emphasizing the critical link between glacier health and regional food security. He called for coordinated action across the climate–water–food nexus and reinforced IOFS’s role as a strategic contributor to regional resilience.
The Conference concluded with the adoption of the Dushanbe Glaciers Declaration, a global call to action that will feed into key international processes, including the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and COP30 in Brazil. IOFS’s presence at this premier event demonstrated its growing leadership in aligning environmental protection with food security imperatives across some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
