The UN General Assembly has declared 2028 the Year of International Law — and Turkmenistan is already preparing to ensure that this date resonates across the world and delivers tangible results. Amid the transformation of the international relations system and growing instability in various parts of the globe, Turkmenistan is taking steps to help bring the world back to the fundamentals of global order.
Concrete measures in this direction were reported at a Cabinet of Ministers meeting on Saturday, 1 August, by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, who presented President Serdar Berdimuhamedov with a package of initiatives for the coming three years.
From a National Plan to the International Stage
The key document will be the National Action Plan for 2026–2028, which will be developed by a specially created interagency commission comprising representatives of relevant ministries, agencies, universities, and research institutions. The plan is meant to bring together political-diplomatic, scientific, educational, cultural, and information activities, while defining venues and those responsible for their implementation.
A separate item involves drafting a National Concept titled “International Law and the Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan” — a document intended to be officially circulated among UN member states. Through this, Ashgabat aims to formally cement the link between its neutral status and its commitment to international legal norms, recognized at the level of the entire international community.
International Law and Public Education
A significant portion of the proposals concerns work with young people and raising legal literacy among the population as a whole. This includes special courses and lectures at universities and vocational schools on the fundamentals of international law, the UN Charter, and strengthening the international legal system. Plans call for preparing educational and methodological materials, creating digital educational resources, establishing a thematic “International Law Week,” holding UN-style model seminars, and organizing research paper and essay competitions among students and young researchers.
Media Support
The initiative also envisions launching dedicated television programs, documentary films, and popular science publications, as well as creating a multilingual internet portal devoted to the thematic year.
Ashgabat as a Permanent Legal Platform
One of the most striking elements of the initiative is the establishment of the Ashgabat International Platform “International Law,” based at the Institute of International Relations of Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The platform is envisioned as a permanent venue where experts from around the world can regularly meet and exchange views on pressing issues of international law.
Within the platform, an annual “Ashgabat International Legal Dialogue” is planned, along with summer schools for young international law scholars.
World High-Level Forum — 2028
The culmination of the entire program is expected to be a World High-Level Forum on International Law, proposed to be held in Ashgabat in 2028 under UN auspices. The forum is expected to consider adopting an Ashgabat Declaration — a document that would affirm the role of international law as a foundation for peace, security, and sustainable development.
At the same time, the thematic year’s program itself is conceived as global: together with the UN Secretariat and its specialized agencies, a unified calendar of international events is to be drawn up.
It is envisioned that the official opening ceremony of the Year of International Law will take place at UN Headquarters in New York in early 2028, with high-level events to be organized throughout the year in Geneva, Vienna, and other major international centers.
What Comes Next
President Berdimuhamedov approved the proposed measures and instructed the foreign ministry to organize the corresponding work.
The launch of such a large-scale program confirms the strategic course of neutral Turkmenistan: the rule of law and adherence to the UN Charter are the primary guarantees of sustainable development and security, and active efforts are urgently needed to restore trust in international instruments.
Ashgabat’s initiative is intended to remind the international community that the only functioning mechanism for resolving disputes and preserving global stability remains clearly observed international legal norms applied equally to all.///nCa, 3 August 2026