International Aral Rescue Fund was founded on 9 April 1999. The fund received observer status at the UN General Assembly on 11 December 2008. The founders of the fund are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the UN News Center reported.

The memorandum was aimed at developing of cooperation, directed at strengthening regional interaction, improving ecologic and social-economic situation in Aral Sea Basin. The document underlines necessity to search for mechanisms on complex use of water resources and environment in Central Asia, taking into account interests of all states of the region.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined that creation of International Aral Rescue Fund is ideal tool to support social-economic development of all Central Asian states.