The SPECA Economic Forum 2026, held on 21–22 January in Ashgabat, brought together high‑level government representatives, United Nations regional commissions, international financial institutions, and regional experts to advance cooperation across transport, energy, digital trade, and sustainable development in Central Asia. Hosted under the theme “Regional Connectivity for Sustainable Development in the International Year of Peace and Trust,” the Forum underscored the region’s shared vision to strengthen resilience, expand cross‑border cooperation, and accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event was convened by the Government of Turkmenistan as 2025 SPECA Chair in cooperation with UNECE and ESCAP, as well as with organizational support provided by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Turkmenistan. The RC played a central coordinating role in ensuring coherence among participating UNCT members, while UNECE and ESCAP led in the organization of the SPECA Governing Council and the substantive preparations of the Forum, with expert-level sessions on trade, transport, digitalization, and energy.
“For more than 25 years, SPECA has proven the value of cooperation for resilience, integration, and sustainable development. Our strategic aim is to build regional connectivity across multiple sectors to deliver measurable benefits for the people, businesses, and future generations. In that respect, effective regional cooperation, based on UN legal instruments and technical standards remains essential for long-term prosperity of the SPECA region,” noted Dmitry Mariyasin, UNECE Deputy Executive Secretary, delivering the opening statement at the High-Level Segment.
Dmytro Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, emphasized that SPECA is “a rare space explicitly about cooperation—connecting energy markets, transport corridors, digital systems, and societies.”
He underscored that in a time of global fragmentation, the Forum demonstrates how regional connectivity can strengthen competitiveness, climate resilience, and economic diversification, noting: “Enhanced energy connectivity and corridor digitalization can make trade more secure, affordable, inclusive, and green—boosting regional cooperation and diversification.”
The SPECA Multi‑Partner Trust Fund, established by UNECE and ESCAP in 2024 and based on the agreement of the SPECA participating states reached at the SPECA Summit in Baku in 2023, will be a key instrument to translate strategies into investments through scalable projects on digitalized trade corridors, cross‑border energy systems, and sustainable transport solutions. The Fund’s Steering Committee, co-chaired by Turkmenistan and UNECE, concluded with the adoption of the SPECA MPTF Funding Strategy and the first call for proposals.
SPECA participating States examined progress and synergies across interconnected priorities. Experts specifically reviewed the topics on water–energy–land–ecosystems nexus: regional energy modelling, opportunities for grid interconnection, cross‑sectoral governance studies, sustainable small hydropower, nature-based solutions, dam safety, and discussed possible input to the Regional Environmental Summit 2026.
Discussions focused on expanding railway interoperability, accelerating the digitalization of multimodal data exchange, and implementing UN legal instruments in the area of inland transport, hosted by UNECE, including eTIR, eCMR, Unified Railway Law (URL) and the Trans‑Caspian Corridor digitalization roadmap adopted at the SPECA Summit in Baku in 2023.
Participants reviewed implementation of UN/CEFACT standards, efforts to build multimodal digital trade corridors, and the importance of aligning with global rules‑based trade systems, including WTO‑related readiness.
The Forum examined the adoption of SPECA Principles of Sustainable Trade, circular economy opportunities, and business practices to enhance efficiency in the Trans‑Caspian corridor.
The Forum was supported by coordinated UN system contributions, bringing together key regional expertise from UNECE, ESCAP, ITC, UNCTAD, international financial institutions and other partners. Expert sessions were designed to align with global commitments such as the Pact for the Future, the Awaza Programme of Action, and ongoing UN cooperation frameworks. For the first time, economists from SPECA participating States met in a dedicated session to identify bankable regional projects and strengthen cross‑border economic cooperation. These discussions will inform future UN-supported programming and regional initiatives.
The Forum concluded with commitments to:
- Scale up digital trade facilitation and multimodal corridor modernization;
- Advance regional energy connectivity and climate‑aligned planning;
- Deepen cooperation on sustainable trade and innovation;
- Prepare a consolidated set of recommendations to transform the SPECA region into a more integrated, efficient, and sustainable economic hub with global outreach.
The UN system reaffirmed its continued support to SPECA participating States in transforming strategies into impact‑driven, investable actions that advance peace, trust, and sustainable development across the region.
Photo credits: UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Turkmenistan / UNECE