On 10 October, 2019, in Bishkek IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central  Asia, National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO and UNDP Kyrgyzstan conducted a presentation on natural and geo heritage of Central Asia.

The organizers presented report “World Heritage Thematic Study for Central Asia” that was developed with aim to improve the ability of countries to propose and manage new sites. It identifies priorities for future World Heritage nominations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as a first step, among many, to secure the conservation of natural heritage in Central Asia. The report identifies six sites of global significance for biodiversity in Central Asia that could potentially qualify for World Heritage status. Experts for example recommend the countries to assess the opportunity to extend the Western Tian Shan WH site, shared by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, to include Manas Wildlife Refuge and Ugam Chatkal NP in Uzbekistan, among other PAs.

Also, there was a presentation of the Russian translation of the Manual “Managing Natural World Heritage”, aimed at anyone with an interest in World Heritage and the findings of the recently finalised study “Geological heritage of the Western Tian Shan,” that suggests caves, karst springs, canyons and valleys worth visiting.  Guests had the opportunity to enjoy the exhibition on nature beauties of the Western Tian Shan.

The World Heritage Convention is one of the most important global conservation instruments created in 1972, the primary mission of the Convention is to identify and protect the world's natural and cultural heritage considered to be of Outstanding Universal Value.

It embodies a visionary idea – that some places are so important that their protection is not only the responsibility of a single nation, but is also the duty of the international community as a whole; and not only for this generation, but for all those to come.

The Convention is governed by the World Heritage Committee supported by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the secretariat for the Convention, and three technical advisory bodies to the Committee: IUCN, ICOMOS, ICCROM.

Natural World Heritage sites are recognised as the planet’s most important protected areas, providing life-supporting benefits to millions of people worldwide. And yet, they are under increasing pressure from climate change, infrastructure development, mining, poaching and other threats.

UNDP is currently implementing the project “Conservation of globally important biodiversity and associated land and forest resources of Western Tian Shan mountain ecosystems to support sustainable livelihoods”, which is aimed at preserving unique natural complexes and biodiversity, to promote the protection of rare and endangered species of fauna and flora. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is being implemented in partnership with the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.