No one expected such a large-scale tragedy, the citizens of Turkey and Syria are suffering from unexpected disasters and calamities today...

We support the efforts of national leaders and international institutions to provide urgent and professional assistance to those suffering in distress.

"The humanitarian needs in earthquake-affected areas of Turkey and Syria are enormous, and the scale of the devastation cannot be overstated. The United Nations is on the ground in the two countries," the United Nations said.  

   The world perceives with particular anxiety the events of colossal natural disasters in Turkey and Syria, as a result of which over 20 thousand people were killed and 65 thousand people were wounded and the number of victims continues to grow...

World experts and seismologists note that these risk and hazard factors are "double earthquakes" which pose a significant threat to the lives and health of the most vulnerable populations.

We, representatives of NGOs dealing with protection and promotion of human rights, including strengthening of horizontal leadership from local to global levels, promotion of women's participation in decision-making processes, to reduce gaps between institutions of power, business and citizens living in risk and disaster areas on the principles of equal participation of citizens in decision-making at all levels of power from local to global, appeal to:

- Explore with Central Asian leaders the "View from the Frontline" participatory research methodology to bridge the gaps between local communities and promote regional voices to local to global decision makers.

- Assess systemic threats and risks, as Central Asian countries suffer from Soviet legacy of 92 uranium tailings in the KR requiring urgent waste remediation and from mining industries such as Kumtor, in Kazakhstan the disappearance of the Aral Sea is becoming increasingly relevant, the biodiversity of the Caspian Sea is on the verge of extinction. Possible risks and disasters could have a negative impact and spread to the whole region of Central Asia.

- Assess together with communities and local authorities the threats and risks of disasters that have affected people living in risk and disaster areas for the past 30 years, the cumulative damage of global disasters in 2022 amounted to more than 270 billion dollars.

- Take urgent preventive measures to protect local communities and drawing attention to the experience of GNDR regional members, leaders of Central Asia, Mongolia and the Caucasus to the key recommendation of the need for a multi-stakeholder expert meeting with civil society representatives from community to national levels to develop joint comprehensive steps and prepare an emergency action plan to address global crises in risk and disaster zones to protect and promote citizens' rights, based on the lessons learned and damages

- Support the initiative of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on the activities of the interagency working group to study the consequences of the Kumtor Mine and propose to hold a multi-stakeholder dialogue involving a wide range of experts, applying the key principles of the GNDR Global Disaster Risk Reduction Association and developing an emergency action plan to eliminate and prevent new disasters in the Kyrgyz Republic, scaling the positive experience to the Central Asian region in the future.

At the international climate summit in Glasgow, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov emphasized that "it is critical for Kyrgyzstan to preserve its centuries-old glaciers, water resources and majestic mountains not only from climate change, but also from unscrupulous economic activities, so the global community must work together to oppose these kinds of unacceptable business practices. Coordinated action by all stakeholders, involving a wide range of experts, will bridge existing gaps between local communities, communicate the needs and requirements of the most vulnerable to decision makers, and develop the most effective approaches to address disasters and threats in the face of global climate change

Members of GNDR - Global Network for Disaster and Risk Prevention in Central Asia:

Regional Representative of GNDR in Kyrgyzstan, member of the Executive Committee of Forum Asia, member of the international association "Women Learning Partnership" and "Civic Solidarity Platform", member of FIDH, Director of the Human Rights Movement "Bir Duino Kyrgyzstan" Tolekan Ismailova;

Regional Coordinator of WLP International for Central Asia, Caucasus and Baltic countries. Director of non-state institution "Women's Resource Center" - Gulnara Karakulova;

WLP-Kyrgyzstan, Director of International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival - Lyra Asylbek;

Mirvari Gahramanli, Chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Oil Workers' Rights;

Vano Grigolashvili, Chairman of the Association "Regional/Rural Development for the Future of Georgia" (RDFG);

Dr. Nune Sarukhanyan, PhD, President of Green Lane Agricultural Assistance Association;

Berkeli Atayev, member of the Nature Conservation Society of Turkmenistan;

Murat Karypov, Coordinator of Risk and Disaster Prevention Programs.

The collection of signatures continues.