The Director of the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre under the auspices of UNESCO, Mr. T. Balykbaev, participated in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference and in the events dedicated to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the 60th anniversary of Water Sciences at UNESCO.

From June 9 to 13, 2025, the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) took place in Nice, France. This is the UN's largest forum on ocean-related issues, with the participation of 64 Heads of State and Government.

The Kazakh delegation, headed by the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Y. Nysanbayev, took part in UNOC3. Among the delegation members was Mr. T. Balykbaev, Director of the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre under the auspices of UNESCO.

At the opening of UNOC3, speeches were delivered by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

In his address, Minister Nysanbayev presented several initiatives of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including the “Water Towers Partnership” proposed by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. This initiative aims to unite global research centers to study and protect glaciers.

The conference aimed to support further and urgent actions for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development, and to define future pathways and means of implementing SDG 14.

From June 10 to 13, 2025, Mr. T. Balykbaev, Director of the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre Category 2 under the auspices of UNESCO, participated in the official events held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the 60th anniversary of UNESCO’s Water Sciences.

The plenary session featured speeches by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Muhriddin, UN Special Envoy for Water Retno Marsudi (via video message), UN Deputy Secretary-General and UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean, UN DESA Deputy Secretary-General Li Junhua, and ministers responsible for water affairs from 10 countries.

As part of the anniversary events, participants attended a scientific symposium on water security, parallel sessions, a Water Dialogue on the Future of Water, an Open Hydrology Forum, an Ecohydrology Symposium, and a Cryosphere Sciences Forum.

These events brought together leading experts, scientists, and representatives of civil society in the field of water resources. The aim was to discuss water security, global climate change, and the vital role of water in sustainable development.

 Representatives of various countries held national sessions during the event. Scientists from Mongolia organized a session titled “Water and Desertification,” while representatives from China led the session “Water Science and Cooperation.” The session on the “Cryosphere” was co-organized by Tajikistan, Korea, and Japan. Ministers of ecology and natural resources, ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary, and experts in relevant fields took part in the sessions.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the IHP, a special publication titled “Water is Life” was released—an anniversary edition dedicated to the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme’s milestone, which included information about the activities of the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre.

The Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre under the auspices of UNESCO was recognized as one of the active participants in the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme and was awarded a commemorative medal marking the 50th anniversary of the IHP. The award was presented by UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences Lidia Brito, Director of the UNESCO Division of Water Sciences Abou Amani, and IHP Council Chair Helmut Habersack (Austria).

Bilateral meetings were also held between Mr. T. Balykbaev and Mr. Abou Amani, Director of the Division of Water Sciences at UNESCO, as well as Mr. Anil Mishra, Chief of the Section on Hydrological Systems, Climate Change and Adaptation at UNESCO.

During the meeting, the Director of the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre informed them about the Centre’s current joint projects with UNESCO, including the progress in developing the practical content of the initiative proposed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, titled “Water Tower Partnership.”

Prospects for cooperation and further development of the Centre were discussed. Mr. Balykbaev also requested support for the Centre in formulating forward-looking development strategies.

On June 13, 2025, the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, signed the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the renewal of the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre’s status in Kazakhstan as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO. A Memorandum of Understanding between UNESCO and the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre was also signed.