Young Peacebuilders Cross-Border Initiative Opens in Fergana

The Young Peacebuilders Cross-Border Initiative opened today in Fergana, bringing together 30 young participants from border regions of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to strengthen dialogue, trust and practical cooperation across the Fergana Valley.

The initiative is being held within the framework of the Fergana Peace Process, which builds on the Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan border agreement, the trilateral agreement and declaration adopted by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in Khujand, and the launch of the Fergana Peace Forum under the theme “Fergana Valley: Uniting Efforts for Peace and Progress.” It seeks to give this process a practical youth dimension by bringing perspectives from border communities into discussions on confidence-building, cooperation and shared development.

The initiative is jointly organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Youth Affairs Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan and OSCE Mediation Support Team, in partnership with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation and PeaceNexus.

Participants include young officials, representatives of state institutions working in border areas, youth civil society actors and emerging community leaders from Batken and Osh provinces of Kyrgyzstan, Sughd province of Tajikistan, and Fergana, Andijan and Namangan provinces of Uzbekistan. 

The programme also features representatives of UNRCCA’s Preventive Diplomacy Academy, reflecting the Regional Centre’s engagement with the Youth, Peace and Security agenda and its support for young Central Asian practitioners able to contribute to dialogue, prevention and regional cooperation.

Over four days, participants will take part in facilitated dialogue, interactive exercises and group work on youth and women’s participation, responsible communication, climate and environmental security, connectivity and practical cross-border cooperation. The initiative aims to help generate concrete youth input to the Fergana Peace Process, including recommendations on community-level confidence-building measures and the role of young people in shaping the Valley as a space of peace, development and connectivity.

Speaking at the opening session, Kaha Imnadze, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Asia and Head of UNRCCA, emphasized that youth participation is essential to sustaining the positive dynamics in the Fergana Valley and ensuring that regional dialogue is connected to the experiences and aspirations of local communities.

“Young people should not be observers of the Fergana Peace Process; they should be part of shaping its practical content. The Fergana Valley has long been a place of connection — of roads, markets, families and cultures — and its future as a space of peace, development and connectivity will depend also on the ideas, trust and cooperation that young people are able to build across borders,” he said.

Ambassador Serge Rumin, Special Representative of Switzerland’s OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Promotion of Dialogue and Confidence-building, emphasized the role of dialogue and trust in supporting sustainable peace and good-neighbourly relations.

“Dialogue is more than conversation. It is the willingness to listen, to understand different perspectives, and to work together even when we do not agree on everything. Dialogue helps build trust, and trust creates opportunities for cooperation. That is why youth participation matters. You bring new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of solving problems,” he said.

Ambassador Antti Karttunen, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, highlighted the importance of youth participation in strengthening peace and cooperation in the Fergana Valley.

“Young people have a vital role to play in building trust and strengthening cooperation across borders. By bringing together participants from communities across the Fergana Valley, this initiative creates an opportunity to learn from one another, develop practical skills and build lasting contacts that can contribute to peace and stability in the region,” he said.

Through youth perspectives and practical recommendations, the initiative will help give further substance to the Fergana Peace Process and affirm the role of young people as active contributors to peace, confidence-building, connectivity and shared development across the Valley.