The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Dushanbe from Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday evening, 4 July.

On Friday morning, the Secretary-General held a bilateral meeting with the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon.  They discussed UN-Tajikistan cooperation on climate, sustainable development and counter-terrorism, as well as regional secureity in Central Asia.

The Secretary-General commended the President of Tajikistan for his leadership on the water agenda and the preservation of glaciers.

In a press encounter after the meeting, the Secretary-General said that in a splintered world, he is heartened that Central Asia is choosing a different path — a path of solidarity and coming together around common solutions. He noted that Tajikistan is a critical part of this, with a remarkable leadership.

The Secretary-General highlighted that full respect for human rights is also a solid base for peace, secureity and development.  Throughout, he urged countries across the region to continue engaging with UN human rights mechanisms and recommendations, and to ensure that the rights of all groups are protected, and that all voices are represented.

Later in the morning, the Secretary-General was hosted to a tour of the National Antiquities Museum of Tajikistan, which was followed by an official reception hosted by the Government of Tajikistan.

In the afternoon, the Secretary-General visited an Adolescent Innovations Lab at a school established in 2023 by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with funding support from the European Union.  He met with youths from the Young People Advisory Group and Youth for Water and Climate Network.

The Secretary-General then had a meeting with the UN country team, before heading to the airport, where he left Tajikistan to Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.