Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, 26 February 2026 – The United Nations in Turkmenistan jointly with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population convened a high-level Hard Talk today in Ashgabat to accelerate the expansion of inclusive social services at the etrap level across the country. The event led by UNICEF in Turkmenistan and Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Turkmenistan brought together senior representatives of the Government, UN agencies, and technical experts to agree on coordinated steps toward strengthening Turkmenistan’s social protection and child protection systems.
The discussion focused on advancing the implementation of the Law of Turkmenistan on Social Services (2021) while aligning with the Government’s socioeconomic development priorities for 2022–2028. Participants reviewed progress achieved since 2021—including the piloting of new community-based service models, the introduction of social work education programmes, and the establishment of social worker positions—and explored the ways for nationwide scale-up by 2035.
“This Hard Talk demonstrates Turkmenistan’s commitment to ensuring that every family, in every community, has access to quality social services,” said Mr. Dmytro Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan. “The transition from pilots to sustainable, institutionalized social services is essential for advancing the SDGs, strengthening resilience, and promoting equity. The UN stands ready to continue supporting strategic planning, workforce development, and costed expansion to ensure no one is left behind.”
The participants reviewed proposed plans for increase of community-based social workers, strengthening training and retraining programs of social work specialists and social work financing issues. Discussions highlighted the need to establish dedicated social service structures at velayat and etrap levels, strengthen pre-service and in-service workforce training, improve supervision and retention, and promote integrated approaches across social protection, child protection, disability services, education, and employment sectors. Participants also explored opportunities for mobilizing innovative financing—including international financial institutions—to support long-term expansion of community-based services.
“Turkmenistan has laid a solid foundation for a modern social services system rooted in national values and international standards,” said Ms. Jalpa Ratna, UNICEF Representative in Turkmenistan. “Evidence clearly shows that community-based services are transformative for children and families—especially the most vulnerable. UNICEF remains fully committed to supporting the Government in scaling up high-quality social services to every etrap, ensuring that families receive the timely, professional support they need.”
The Hard Talk concluded with agreement on priority next steps, including preparation of recommendations for review by the Government of Turkmenistan, the development of a Social Workforce Expansion Plan 2027–2035, further legal amendments to legislation and development of by-laws to strengthen specialized social services, and continued intersectoral coordination to ensure the coherent expansion of family and community-based support systems throughout Turkmenistan. ///UN Turkmenistan