The 6th Meeting of Prosecutors General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states was held in Tashkent. The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Berik Assylov attended the event , El.kz reports citing the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Kazakhstan.
At the meeting, the heads of prosecution bodies from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan discussed issues of environmental security, rational use of natural resources, and forest conservation, as well as challenges related to emission reduction, combating illegal logging, and poaching. Special attention was given to ecosystem restoration and the protection of rare animal species. In addition, participants exchanged experience in judicial and legal reforms and anti-corruption measures.
The Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan presented the country’s initiatives on environmental protection. Addressing the ecological agenda, Assylov emphasized that ecology and the rational use of resources are key to sustainable development.
Kazakhstan attaches strategic importance to these issues, guided by the principle of “the polluter pays,” under which anyone who causes environmental damage must not only compensate for the harm but also be held accountable.
Assylov also shared Kazakhstan’s experience in prosecutorial oversight of natural resource use, monitoring water quality, and forest protection.
He reported on the introduction of early fire detection systems, which helped reduce the affected areas by four times. He stressed that “over the past three years, prosecutors’ actions have resulted in over $185 million in fines for environmental violations, while the share of waste recycling in the country has increased from 11% to 30%.”
He also proposed developing a regional strategy to combat poaching and the smuggling of rare species, as well as enhancing cooperation in forest and water resource protection.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a joint Declaration, which outlined the priorities of international cooperation in combating crime, corruption, and protecting the environment.