UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region in Uzbekistan

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

It is suggested that Finland supports the UN-affiliated Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea region in Uzbekistan. Based on an initiative of the new president of Uzbekistan and established in 2018, the Aral Lake Trust Fund is a fund that aims to channel all the aid addressed to the dried Aral region. The drying up of the Aral Sea is among the greatest human-made environmental disasters in the world and its negative effects go beyond national and regional boundaries. The aim of the Fund is to provide comprehensive coordination to reduce the damage caused by the disaster and to improve the situation and living conditions of the most vulnerable. The Steering Committee of the Fund will decide on the projects to be financed, with the main objectives being the reduction of environmental damage to local communities and the improvement of the employment situation of the local population. According to the current plan, the fund will continue to operate until 2023 with a total budget of around EUR 110 million. It is suggested that Finland supports the areas in Uzbekistan affected by the Aral disaster and that Finland's support (EUR 1 million) will be channeled through the Aral Lake Trust Fund. It is suggested that the funds to be allocated to the Unit for Eastern Europe and Central Asia this year are used for this payment. Uzbekistan is a lower middle income country and ODA eligible according to the OECD DAC classification. The UN-affiliated Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund is an ODA-qualified entity.