We, representatives of public environmental organizations and initiative groups, expressing our aspiration for cooperation, joining of efforts by different sections of society to tackle acute socio-environmental problems, are calling on all members of the environmental movement of the country to organize the NGO Eco-forum of Uzbekistan.


       Our goals are as follows :

       - assistance in establishment and development of environmental movement in Uzbekistan;

      - consolidation of efforts of public organizations involved in solving acute socio-environmental problems of the country.


       The Eco-forum is a recognized form for consolidation of potential of public organizations, whose mission is preservation and rehabilitation of the environment. The eco-forums have received a great public response in many countries, have proven their vitality and effectiveness. And, this process has evolved in Central Asia, the example of which are the eco-forums of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan.

      During the last three years, qualitative changes have taken place in Uzbekistan in development of public environmental sector. Environmental NGOs and initiative groups are successfully operating in all major regions of the country. Their activists have repeatedly raised the issue of necessity for cooperation on permanent basis, since the very nature of global environmental problems dictates the inevitability of their joint realization and tackling.

      The process of preparations for the Founding conference is in its final stage. The working group of 11 people formed by members of environmental movement of Uzbekistan, has prepared drafts of program and working documents. Among the principal documents being presented for consideration and approval by the Forum is the Strategy, which outlines approaches towards achievement of fundamental goals, the Charter, which formulates rules of internal life of the community, Target programs on leading areas of collaborative work.

      The key components in preparations of the Forum have been working meetings. Common position were worked out on the whole range of internal and external relations of the NGO community being organized, wording of program and working documents were worked through, organizational matters were dealt with. Furthermore, working meetings held in different regions of the country, have become an important link in involving concerned public in organizing the Eco-forum. From the very first steps, the working group took a course for maximum involvement of active members of environmental NGOs into the work of creating the basics of the Forum. The initiators were unanimous in their opinion that the Eco-forum, by its very nature, is a deeply public phenomena. It can not be the cause of a narrow circle of people. Thus, the public nature of the working meetings, information campaign in mass media, working contacts with government and international environment protection organizations, eco-forums of other countries.

      Serving public interests should also manifest itself in the content side of the entity being organized. All its functions should be, finally, directed exclusively towards comprehension and tackling of keen objectives of ecology and protection of the environment of the country and the region.

       Formation of stable community is a natural process. It is a historic necessity conditioned by the very nature of global environmental problems. Many of us realize that there’s an enormous range of environmental problems, which can not be solved, in principle, by efforts of some individual organizations. At the same time, any coordination of joint efforts, actions assumes certain culture of relations.

       We, members of the Working group, have had to learn to take an initiative, to hold correct and substantive discussions, analyze contradictions in views, come to a common point of view and make decisions and see that they are enforced.


       Eventually, everything will depend on whether we, activists of the environmental movement of Uzbekistan, will be willing (and whether we will be able), to build our relations on the well- known democratic principles of :

       - equality of rights and responsibilities of all members of the Eco-forum;

      - elections, accountability, rotation, regulation;

      - representation of all the regions of the country;

      - consistency of steps being taken;

      - partnership and mutual assistance

      - priority of horizontal relations over vertical;

      - informational and organizational openness.


       Members of the working group representing environmental and environment-oriented public organizations of all the regions of Uzbekistan, are inviting their colleagues from NGOs and initiative groups to take part in the Founding conference and to adopt a decision on creating the NGO Eco-forum. They are also inviting representatives of all concerned government institutions and agencies, local authorities, workers of international organizations, journalists, to take part in the work of the conference.

      We hope that the association into the Eco-forum, not only can elevate to a different level of quality the partnership among environmental NGOs, constructive cooperation with representatives of legislative and executive branches of government, local authorities, but will enable the consolidated community of public environmental organizations to take part in making socially important decisions.