From 17 to 19 February 2026, the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), hosted a three-day in-person workshop in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
The workshop was organized by the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), on behalf of the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM), and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), in cooperation with the UNRCCA and United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). It aimed at strengthening the capacity of UN staff and partners from Central Asia and Afghanistan to analyze and address climate-related peace and security risks with a particular focus on water resources, human security, and climate-informed peacebuilding approaches.
The workshop brought together 30 participants from UNRCCA, UNAMA, UN Resident Coordinator Offices in both regions, as well as representatives from UN Women, UNDP, UNESCO and UNICEF across Central Asia and Afghanistan. Technical experts from OSCE and Adelphi also took part.
During the three days, participants explored key regional and global developments on climate, peace and security and discussed how data-informed approaches can support climate related risk analysis. They worked through case studies on integrating climate considerations into peacebuilding, preventive diplomacy and programming. Sessions also highlighted gender and youth perspectives, peer learning from Central Asia, and good practices in preventive diplomacy. Group exercises identified synergies between UNAMA, UNRCCA and UN agencies, and outlined potential joint action plans to address climate-related peace and security risks, including water-related challenges, in the region. ///UNRCCA, 24 February 2026