Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- As part of the CMS COP14, held in Samarkand, an event was held dedicated to the launch of a new project of the Global Partnership for Environmental Connectivity (GPEC).

The event was attended by the Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov, CMS Executive Secretary Amy Frankel, Chairman of the IUCN World Commission of Protected Areas Madhu Rao, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC), Chairman of the IUCN WCPA Conservation Links Specialist Group Gary Tabor, head of the Wildlife Connect initiative Raphael Antelo, president of the Climate Chance Association Ronan Dantek, director of biodiversity, nature and health (ICLEI Africa) Ingrid Coetzee and others.

“Uzbekistan is pleased to make a key contribution to this new Partnership and offer long-term commitments that are integral to the success of the project. The creation of the new Global Partnership marks a turning point in our collective efforts. It provides a platform for cooperation between various stakeholders, facilitating the development and implementation of strategies to maintain, expand and restore ecological connectivity throughout the world,” emphasized Aziz Abdukhakimov in his welcoming speech.

The GPEC project was presented at the event, with the main focus on its significance. The GPEC project is planned to contribute to key priorities in environmental connectivity, including research, data collection, monitoring, policy and legislation, adoption and implementation, and awareness-raising and advocacy at the national, transboundary and international levels.