The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) recently hosted the final event of the “Drops of the Future” workshop series. The event brought together young leaders, experts, and key stakeholders from Central Asia and beyond to explore collaborative and consensus-driven approaches to finding sustainable solutions for water, energy and food systems. The goal was to address global changes, prevent resource degradation, and promote security.
The concluding event took place on 26 February in Vienna with a briefing for OSCE participating States. Following this session, an exposition and panel discussions were held at the BOKU River Lab. The event highlighted innovative solutions and best practices that address water, food, and energy challenges, all framed within scientific and institutional perspectives.
The opening session started with an address by the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, Ambassador Bakyt Dzhusupov, who underscored that “trade-offs are becoming increasingly difficult. The role of continued negotiations and the striving for compromises is an essential key to managing trade-offs between water use, energy production and food security exacerbated by the mounting risks of climate change”. In a special virtual address Mr. Santeri Leinonen, Special Representative of the Finland Chairperson-in-Office on Youth, Peace and Security emphasized the “vital role of youth engagement in building trust and confidence within and across borders, ultimately contributing to greater stability, peace, and security across the OSCE region”.
The event featured two key panel discussions: “Empowering women and young voices from Central Asia: Advancing the WEF nexus for a sustainable future” featured inspiring contributions from young participants of the “Drops of the Future” workshop series—Ms. Byagul Kerimova (Turkmenistan) and Ms. Sarbinaz Rasbergenova (Uzbekistan). “A declaration for shaping the future approach to WEF nexus across Central Asia and beyond” focused on a long-term, visionary perspective developed by young people across Central Asia featuring young voices from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
