UNOPS Austria

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UNOPS Austria

UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office: Austria, Albania, Pristina, Türkiye, Central Asia, South Caucasus.

Supporting UNOPS Global Portfolio on Water, Environment and Climate

04/09/2026

What happens when young people from across Central Asia come together to exchange ideas, challenge perspectives and shape the next steps of regional cooperation?

From 19 - 21 August, members of the five Youth Sounding Boards in Central Asia gathered in Aktau, Kazakhstan, for their 2nd Regional Coordination Meeting under the EU Civil Society Facility in Central Asia.

Representing Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, participants reflected on the first year of their work with EU Delegations, shared experiences from their countries and explored how youth voices can contribute more meaningfully to dialogue and decision-making.

The three-day programme combined reflection with practical learning. Discussions focused on youth participation and regional cooperation, while skills sessions explored human rights and advocacy, communication on sensitive topics, artificial intelligence and digital security.

A visit to Kuryk Port also gave participants an opportunity to see regional connectivity in practice and connect their discussions with the wider Global Gateway agenda.

Beyond the sessions themselves, the meeting demonstrated the value of creating spaces for young people to exchange perspectives across borders, learn from one another and build lasting professional and personal connections.

UNOPS is proud to support the implementation of the EU Civil Society Facility in Central Asia and initiatives that help strengthen dialogue, cooperation and meaningful youth engagement across the region.

01/09/2026

Heritage is not simply about the past. It is about who we are, what we value, and what we choose to carry forward.

This year’s European Heritage Days begin under a powerful theme: “Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine.” Across Europe, communities are invited to reflect on what is at risk and on our shared responsibility to protect, restore and give new life to the heritage we share.

For Albania, this message has a particular resonance.

The 2019 earthquake reminded us how quickly cultural heritage can be placed at risk. But it also showed what is possible when institutions, communities and international partners come together with a shared commitment to preserve what matters.

Through , the European Union and UNOPS worked alongside Albanian institutions and communities to restore cultural heritage sites damaged by the earthquake, not simply rebuilding walls, but helping bring back places that hold memories, traditions and a sense of belonging.

When we preserve heritage, we preserve more than buildings. We preserve stories. We preserve knowledge. We preserve identity. We create spaces where future generations can connect with the past while imagining what comes next.

25/08/2026

Climate change doesn’t stop at borders. Neither should our response.

Heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and growing pressure on water resources affect communities, economies and ecosystems far beyond national borders. Building climate resilience therefore requires countries and communities to work together.

Within the EU Civil Society Facility in Central Asia, the Thematic Working Group on Climate Change and Environment brings together civil society voices from across the region to share ideas, expertise and perspectives on these shared challenges.

The Working Group highlights the need for stronger exchange of knowledge and data, as well as joint research on issues such as water efficiency, land degradation, forests and ecosystem adaptation. It also calls for civil society to have a stronger voice in shaping, implementing and monitoring regional and international climate policies.

19/08/2026

A new milestone for healthcare infrastructure in Uzbekistan 🇺🇿

The Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and UNOPS have signed an agreement to support the development of a new 300-bed multidisciplinary hospital in Beshkent City, Kashkadarya Region.

The agreement also marks UNOPS’ first collaboration with ADFD, opening an important new partnership. The ADFD-funded component forms part of a wider $127.1 million healthcare infrastructure project, which also includes a new hospital in Karshi and the expansion of telehealth facilities across the region, with financing from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

The new Beshkent hospital will replace existing infrastructure and provide modern facilities for services including maternity, paediatrics, surgery, infectious diseases, pathology and outpatient care, helping expand access to quality healthcare for communities across Kashkadarya.

We look forward to building on these partnerships and supporting the implementation of the project, turning this investment into modern, accessible and resilient healthcare infrastructure and better services for communities across the region.

👉 Read the full press release:https://content.unops.org/documents/libraries/press-releases/2026/en/Press-release-Uzbekistan-New-agreement-advances-healthcare-infrastructure-in-Kashkadarya-Region.pdf

UNOPS

14/08/2026

Marking Caspian Sea Day in Turkmenistan

On 12 August, UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Director Simonetta Siligato joined government representatives, regional partners and experts in Awaza, Turkmenistan, for the Scientific and Practical Conference “Protecting the Caspian Sea Ecosystem: Regional Cooperation and Sustainable Development.”

This year’s Caspian Sea Day marks an important milestone: 20 years since the Tehran Convention entered into force, establishing the first legally binding regional agreement among the five Caspian littoral states for the protection of their shared marine environment.

In her remarks, Simonetta Siligato highlighted the importance of translating regional commitments into lasting results. Through the Blueing the Caspian Sea project, UNOPS is supporting Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to strengthen pollution monitoring, improve biodiversity planning and improve the management of marine protected areas, contributing to stronger national capacities and regional cooperation for the protection of the Caspian Sea.

As environmental pressures on the Caspian continue to grow, strong partnerships and regional cooperation remain essential to protecting the sea, its ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

Visit the website to learn more about the project:
https://www.blueingthecaspiansea.project.unops.org/

12/08/2026

On International Youth Day, UNOPS celebrates the young people and professionals who bring curiosity, energy and fresh perspectives to creating positive change.

We are especially inspired by colleagues like Sude Alkan, part of the UNOPS Türkiye office, supporting women and girls affected by the earthquake.

Her focus on turning challenges into practical solutions is a powerful example of how young professionals are helping shape meaningful, lasting impact.

Youth engagement means more than creating opportunities. It means listening to ideas, valuing experiences and giving young people space to shape what comes next.
Here’s to the young changemakers making a difference today and to everything still ahead. 💚

12/08/2026

🌍This International Youth Day, we celebrate young people not only as the leaders of tomorrow, but as voices shaping decisions today!

Across Central Asia, members of the Youth Sounding Boards are bringing young people’s perspectives, ideas and priorities into dialogue with the EU, contributing to the future of their countries and the region.

And there could hardly be a better way to continue this spirit: in just a few days, Youth Sounding Boards members from across Central Asia will come together in Aktau for their 2nd Regional Coordination Meeting to connect, exchange ideas and strengthen youth participation across the region.

The future should not only be built for young people - it should be shaped with them!

The Youth Sounding Boards are part of the EU-funded Civil Society Facility in Central Asia, implemented by UNOPS, which aims to strengthen civil society and promote more inclusive and meaningful participation across the region.

11/08/2026

From 6 to 12 August, Kazakhstan is hosting International Caspian Sea Action Week 2026 in Aktau, bringing together governments, scientists, international organizations and experts to strengthen cooperation around the environmental challenges facing this shared ecosystem.

Through the Blueing the Caspian Sea Project, we contributed to two key events during the week.

☑️On 6 August, the project joined an International Training Seminar focused on modern technologies and approaches for marine environmental monitoring.
☑️On 7 August, the project was presented at an International Round Table focused on scientific cooperation to address pressing challenges facing the Caspian Sea.

By strengthening pollution monitoring capacities, enhancing data exchange, and advancing biodiversity conservation and planning, the project delivers practical tools to address the region's most urgent challenges - including shifting sea levels, marine ecosystem pressures, and the need for closer scientific cooperation.

The Blueing the Caspian Sea project is financed by the Global Environment Facility, implemented by the World Bank and executed by UNOP, bringing together scientists, industries, communities and government officials from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to address urgent environmental challenges.

07/08/2026

Through the Blueing the Black Sea Project, the UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office is coordinating a regional programme across Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Türkiye and Ukraine.

On 23 July, the project brought together government representatives, experts and development partners in Odesa, Ukraine, for a national workshop to support the country's alignment with the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The workshop focused on strengthening Ukraine's National Marine Environmental Strategy, including addressing the environmental impacts of the war, while participants also visited the laboratories of the Ukrainian Scientific Center of Ecology of the Sea and the Black Sea Basin Water Resources Authority to better understand existing capacities and identify practical needs for strengthening marine and freshwater environmental monitoring.

Recognizing that the Black Sea is a shared marine environment, the project promotes cross-border collaboration, scientific exchange and strong partnerships among Black Sea countries. By bringing together policy, science and institutional expertise, it supports coordinated action to protect marine ecosystems, strengthen environmental governance and build a cleaner, healthier and more resilient Black Sea for the region.

The Blueing the Black Sea Project is funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by UNOPS on behalf of the World Bank Group.

28/07/2026

Every investment in healthcare infrastructure is an investment in people.

The reopening of the Republican AIDS Center in Tashkent marks an important milestone in strengthening Uzbekistan's healthcare system.

Made possible through the partnership between the , the , the , & implemented by , the project reflects a shared commitment to improving access to quality healthcare.

Beyond the rehabilitation of healthcare facilities, this partnership is helping modernize public health infrastructure, strengthen laboratories, introduce digital health systems, and enhance the capacity of healthcare professionals. These investments will benefit more than 36 million people for years to come.

Read more👇
https://content.unops.org/documents/libraries/press-releases/2026/en/Press-release-AIDS-Center-in-Uzbekistan%E2%80%99s-capital-reopens.pdf

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