WHEN: 13-14 October 2025 I TIME: 9:00 - 17:00 (Almaty Time) I VENUE: Holiday Inn, Almaty, Kazakhstan I by invitation only event
Background:
Central Asia is increasingly recognizing the need for sustainable economic growth that balances environmental health with economic prosperity. As the region faces mounting challenges from climate change, resource depletion, and growing waste generation, transitioning from a linear to a circular economy (CE) is essential. CE offers a transformative pathway by focusing on waste reduction, resource efficiency, and designing systems that retain value in materials for longer.
The first regional dialogue held in May 2025 marked a critical step in fostering a shared understanding of Circular Economy (CE) and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). The event brought together Parliamentarians, government representatives, and experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, focusing on strategies for advancing CE policies and strengthening regional cooperation.
These developments towards circular economy strongly align with the broader goals of the EU Global Gateway, which places circular economy and resource efficiency, along with pollution and greenhouse gas emission reduction, at the core of its green and sustainable development agenda. These priorities are reflected in the Gateway’s focus on Green Transition and Climate Action, Sustainable Infrastructure, and Support for Sustainable Value Chains. By fostering policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, and legislative engagement, the Global Gateway can support Central Asia’s transition toward circular value chains - enhancing regional sustainability, economic resilience, and alignment with global green economy standards.
Building on this momentum, the 2nd Regional Dialogue will focus on strengthening parliamentary engagement, identifying actionable policy reforms, and facilitating knowledge exchange between stakeholders, with a key emphasis on scaling CE practices across Central Asia through a collaborative approach among the five Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This dialogue will further explore the integration of CE principles across various sectors, including waste management, agriculture, tourism, textiles, and construction. In addition to policy dialogue, the event will include a field visit in Almaty that demonstrates practices that successfully adopted circular economy principles, offering participants a practical example of CE in action.
Access Reading Resources here.
Invited participants:
EU INTPA HQ, EU Delegations in Central Asia, SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component (PSC), Members of the Parliament (MPs), SWITCH-Asia National Focal Points (NFPs) in Central Asia, other representatives of governments in the Central Asian region, Partners and stakeholders of the SWITCH-Asia Technical Advisories, relevant international organisations and projects, representatives of CAREC.
Objectives:
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Promote and enhance Regional Cooperation: Facilitate knowledge exchange and discussions on regional challenges and opportunities for adopting circular economy practices in Central Asia.
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Strengthen Parliamentary Engagement: Equip parliamentarians with the tools and knowledge needed to advocate for and legislate CE policies in their respective countries.
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Develop Actionable Policy Recommendations: Provide a platform to discuss policy recommendations, legislative reforms, and national action plans for integrating CE into key sectors.
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Facilitate Sectoral Discussions: Dive deep into CE practices in priority sectors such as agriculture, textiles, tourism, food systems, and construction.
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To facilitate engagement between policy makers and businesses: Engage businesses and communities in showcasing circular solutions to MPs, strengthening mutual understanding and fostering collaboration for effective CE policies.
Brief Programme Overview
(the programme can be subject to change)
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13 October 2025 |
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Time |
Session |
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8:30 AM registration |
DAY 1 STARTS |
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9:00 – 9:45 |
Welcome and Opening Remarks Overview of the Dialogue's Goals: Review the objectives of the regional dialogue, including promoting Circular Economy (CE) principles, fostering regional cooperation, and strengthening parliamentary engagement. Lorraine GATLABAYAN, Key Expert, SWITCH-Asia PSC Chair - Mr Kanat SULTANALIYEV, Expert, SWITCH-Asia PSC Welcome Remarks:
Keynote Address: Parliamentary Leadership for a Circular Future – Member of Parliament of Kazakhstan Hon. Arman KALYKOV, Deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament Republic of Kazakhstan |
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9:45 – 11:00 |
Session 1: National Progress on Circular Economy in Central Asia Introduction to the Session Dr. Zinaida FADEEVA, Team leader, SWITCH-Asia PSC Facilitated Panel of Parliamentarians (10 mins each)
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11:00 – 11:15 |
Group Photo session Coffee Break |
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11:15 –11.45 |
Field Visit: Briefing Briefing for the Members of Parliament on the site visit and sessions during the event |
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11:45 –12.45 |
Lunch (Holiday Inn Almaty) |
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13:00 – 17:30 |
Field Visit: Circular Economy in Action Guided visit to leading CE enterprises/practices in Almaty. On-site presentations and exchanges with management, staff, and stakeholders. |
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19:00 |
Welcome Reception and Networking Dinner (Manana Restaurant) |
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14 October 2025 |
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Time |
Session |
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8:30 AM registration |
DAY 2 STARTS |
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09:00 – 10:30 |
Session 2: Showcasing Circular Practices from Businesses and Communities (Hybrid) Introduction to the Session Dr. Rene VAN BERKEL, Expert, SWITCH-Asia PSC Facilitate a dialogue on business practices and insights on circular economy Facilitated Panel of Speakers (hybrid format):
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10:30 – 10:45 |
Coffee Break |
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10:45 – 13:00 |
Session 3: Framework Programme on Partnerships for Circular Economy in Central Asia Discussion of the development of the Framework Programme on Partnerships for Circular Economy in Central Asia as a priority initiative of the upcoming Regional Ecological Summit to be held in Kazakhstan in 2026. Introduction to the Session Mr. Yerlik KARAZHAN, CEO, Head of the Project office for Central Asia on Climate Change and Green Energy, Central Asia Climate Foundation (TBC) Presentation of Speakers:
Mr. Ruslan TUKENOV, Director of the Waste Management Department, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan (TBC)
Dr. Zinaida FADEEVA, Team leader, SWITCH-Asia PSC
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13:00 –14:00 |
Lunch |
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14:00 – 15:30 |
Meeting of Parliamentarians (by Invitation)
Moderated by Mr. Zafar MAKHMUDOV, Expert, SWITCH-Asia PSC |
Reflection on the Framework Programme on Partnership for Circular economy based on discussions of session 3
Moderated by Mr. Arab HOBALLAH, Expert, SWITCH-Asia PSC and Dr. Rene VAN BERKEL, CE Expert, SWITCH-Asia PSC
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15:30 – 16:00 |
Final Reflections and Concluding Remarks |
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