Central Asian Glaciological Centre and UNESCO Sign Memorandum on Renewal of Its Category 2 Institute Status

Paris, 13 June 2025 – From 10 to 13 June, Mr. Takir Balykbaev, Director of the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre under the auspices of UNESCO (CARGC), paid a working visit to UNESCO Headquarters.

During the visit, Mr. Balykbaev and Kazakhstan’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Askar Abdrakhmanov took part in official celebrations marking the 50^th anniversary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP). The high-level segment featured speeches by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, ministers of water resources from 10 countries, and representatives of the United Nations.

During a special ceremony, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences Dr Lidia Arthur Brito, accompanied by Chair and Secretary of the IHP Intergovernmental Council, awarded Mr. Balykbaev with a commemorative medal as a sign of recognition of CARGC’s notable contributions to the advancement of multilateral scientific cooperation in hydrology and glaciology.

The key outcome of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UNESCO and CARGC to renew the Centre’s status as a Category 2 Institute under the auspices of UNESCO. The document reaffirms the commitment of both parties to strengthening cooperation in glaciological research and sustainable water management.

The visit also included a meeting with UNESCO team, facilitated by Kazakhstan’s Permanent Delegation, to discuss future development prospects of CARGC and the prospect of the implementation of Kazakhstan’s Water Towers Partnership initiative. UNESCO expressed its readiness to support for enhancing the Centre’s participation in most relevant international scientific initiatives and projects.