At the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), the Government of Turkmenistan signed the Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action. The Declaration was signed by H.E. Mr Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev, Minister of Education of Turkmenistan, and Mr Gernot Laganda, UNICEF Global Practice Director for Climate and Environment and Head of the UNICEF Delegation to COP31.
By signing, Turkmenistan commits to consider children’s needs, rights and voices in its climate policies and action. Turkmenistan joins more than 80 countries that have endorsed the Declaration, and all five Central Asian countries are now signatories. The same five countries are jointly implementing the Regional Green School Platform, endorsed at the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana in April 2026, to make schools across the region greener, safer and more resilient to climate change.
“This step once again confirms Turkmenistan’s steadfast commitment to protecting the interests of the younger generation and creating the conditions for its harmonious development. Building on the environmental initiatives of the country’s leadership, we give priority to climate education and to enabling our young people to play an active role in the green agenda and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Turkmenistan confirms its readiness to further deepen international partnership and to put all the provisions of this Declaration into practice,” said H.E. Mr Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev, Minister of Education of Turkmenistan.
“Children are hit hardest by the climate crisis, yet they are too often left out of the decisions that shape their future. With Turkmenistan, all five Central Asian countries now stand behind this Declaration: one region, one voice for its children. A signature is not the end of a sentence. It is the first line of a new chapter, and children will write it,” said Gernot Laganda, UNICEF Global Practice Director for Climate and Environment and Head of the UNICEF Delegation to COP31.
“This signature reflects what we already see in Turkmenistan’s schools and communities. In 120 Green Schools, children learn about climate change, save energy and water, and help their communities prepare for disasters. Young people developed National Youth Statement for COP31. UNICEF will continue to work with the Government of Turkmenistan to turn the Declaration’s commitments into results for every child in Turkmenistan,” said Jalpa Ratna, UNICEF Representative in Turkmenistan.
The Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action was launched at COP25 in 2019 and is based on priorities set by young people themselves. It calls on governments to:
- include children in national climate and adaptation plans;
- invest in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction that protects the most vulnerable children;
- bring climate education to every child;
- give young people a meaningful voice in climate decisions.
The signing builds on Turkmenistan’s ongoing work for children and climate. Under the Green School Programme, led by the Ministry of Education with UNICEF support, 120 schools across the country now teach climate change, save energy and water, and strengthen school safety. Eighteen of them were certified this month as Turkmenistan’s first Green Schools. The national target is 500 certified green and safe schools by 2030. Turkmenistan’s new Nationally Determined Contribution, NDC 3.0, includes a dedicated section on children and youth. Young people are also shaping the agenda. Through the UNICEF Youth Climate Summer School, young people from every region of Turkmenistan drafted the National Youth Statement for COP31. UNICEF supports three youth delegates from Turkmenistan at COP31. It also supported three youth delegates at the Regional Conference of Youth in Samarkand in September 2026.