From 28 September to 2 October 2026, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized a five-day Youth School on Good Economic and Environmental Governance in Hisor, on the outskirts of Dushanbe, bringing together 20 young people aged 18 to 25 from across Tajikistan.
The Youth School was the first joint initiative of five units of the Programme Office's Economic and Environmental Department, covering good governance and anti-corruption, economic challenges to security, environmental threats to security, water management and energy security, and disaster risk reduction. It explored how good governance principles can be applied to economic, environmental, water, energy, climate and disaster-related challenges.
Through interactive sessions, case studies, role-plays and group exercises, participants strengthened their understanding of six principles of good governance: transparency, accountability, participation, the rule of law, integrity and co-ordination. They also discussed civic participation and access to environmental information under the Aarhus Convention, as well as disaster risk reduction.
"For me, the Youth School was not only about learning. We exchanged ideas, worked together and made friends with other young people. The opportunity to build a network was one of the most valuable parts of the School," said Surush Alisherzoda, a participant.
Robiya Muhamadieva, another participant, said the format made the learning more engaging:
"What I liked most was the way the sessions were conducted. We had different trainers and topics, but instead of just listening to lectures, we spent much of our time debating, working through real-life cases and developing our own projects. This made the information much clearer and easier to remember."
International OSCE expert Raimundas Kalesnikas from Riga, Latvia, highlighted the participants' enthusiasm:
"The School showed how interested young people are in good governance and economic and environmental issues. They were actively involved in the interactive sessions and contributed their ideas. I believe they will be able to put the knowledge and skills they gained here into practice in the future."
On the final day, participants developed youth-led initiatives addressing regional challenges related to the green economy, water and energy, climate change and disaster risk reduction. The School also helped participants build connections and skills for more transparent and sustainable decision-making.
Participants celebrate the completion of the Youth School on Good Economic and Environmental Governance with their certificates, Hisor, 2 October 2026.
The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe continues to promote youth engagement and practical learning opportunities that contribute to good governance, sustainable development and environmental security in Tajikistan.
