On 4 June 2026, the OSCE organized the side event "Introduction of Artificial Intelligence into the EIA system in Uzbekistan" on the margins of the EcoExpo Central Asia 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in close collaboration with the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of Italy, and the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA).
The event aimed at promoting public participation in Uzbekistan's efforts to advance the use of Artificial Intelligence in environmental impact assessment, as well as sharing international experiences from Central Asia and other regions. At the conclusion of the side event, a Memorandum of Co-operation on Capacity Building and the Introduction of Artificial Intelligence into the EIA System was signed between IAIA Italy and the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
The General Director of the Center for State Ecological Expertise of Uzbekistan, Gayrat Mukhamedov, noted that the introduction of Artificial Intelligence into the Environmental Impact Assessment and State Environmental Expertise systems will enhance the quality, efficiency, and transparency of decision-making processes.
Cooper Sainsbury, representing the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, said that "the OSCE carefully considers the significant implications of the use of Artificial Intelligence for regional and global security and stability, as well as its potential as an opportunity to support transboundary collaboration."
The President of IAIA Italy, presenting the action plan for introducing Artificial Intelligence into the Uzbek EIA System, stated that "the Memorandum represents a strategic step towards the implementation of Artificial Intelligence in the assessment of environmental impacts on a national and international scale in a country that plays a central role in the entire Central Asian region and is interpreting the principle of sustainable growth with vision and concreteness."
Anna Maria Maggiore, Italian National Focal Point for the Espoo Convention, recalled that "the public mechanism for monitoring the impact of AI within organizations involves the establishment of a human-supervised system that enables governance to be adjusted on the basis of evidence gathered and shared, thereby ensuring transparency in the process."
Chiara Landini, from the Italian Ministry, affirmed that "we need a continuous and informed exchange within and between countries to better understand emerging risks and opportunities, to share practical experiences, and to collectively shape guiding principles that can ensure that innovation is aligned with public interest, environmental protection, and fundamental rights."
