Some thirty-five students from Turkmenistan's institutions of higher education participated in an OSCE organized workshop entitled "Youth Negotiation on Climate, Security and Co-operation: OSCE Best Practices" that took place in Ashgabat on 29 July 2025.
The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized this event to build practical negotiation and diplomacy skills of youth representatives who have been participating in the ongoing UNICEF Youth Climate Summer School 2025.
The seminar exposed young leaders to OSCE environmental initiatives as part of the Organization's comprehensive approach to security and elaborated on the integration of gender issues into the OSCE strategic agenda on promoting equality and inclusiveness.
"The voices of young people are not just needed-they are essential," said William Leaf, Acting Head of the OSCE Centre.
"Across the OSCE region, young women and men are leading local environmental initiatives, introducing climate-smart innovations, and fostering dialogue within their communities," he added.
"But for their ideas to become action, and for their activism to influence policy, we must do more to provide meaningful opportunities for youth engagement and we have very good hopes that this seminar will contribute to the enhanced capacity of young people to advocate for environmental security," emphasized Leaf.
During the seminar, participants discussed the role of youth in climate, water and security negotiations emphasizing the importance of Central Asia's voice in global co-operation. Young leaders analyzed the nexus of climate, water and security in global negotiations and explored opportunities for active participation in climate and security diplomacy. As part of a session on negotiation skills, they got familiarized with practical tools, tips and success stories.
Seminar participants collaboratively drafted a youth resolution addressing key priorities such as climate security, gender equality, and regional co-operation. This draft resolution will be prepared for inclusion in the National Youth Statement for COP30, empowering youth voices to influence global climate and security agendas.
The seminar brought together youth leaders and students from the Institute of International relations of the Ministry of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan, Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction, International Oil and Gas University named after Yagshygeldi Kakayev, State Medical University named after Myrat Garryyev and Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan
