Environmental Pledges Pointless Without Transparency

One of the requirements of a Central Asian environmental convention to which Turkmenistan has acceded is that signatory states must exchange information on a regular basis. According to NBCentralAsia analysts, fulfilling this condition is going to be difficult because the Turkmen regime controls access to information so tightly.



The government signed the convention at a November 25 meeting of a regional commission on sustainable development in Ashgabat, thereby committing itself to a regular information exchange, environmental monitoring, and engaging non-government groups in addressing of regional ecological problems.



NBCentralAsia commentator Mars Sariev doubts the authorities will open up access to information to either a local or an international audience, as that would provide opportunities to learn more about the general situation inside the country as well as specific environmental matters.



“Niazov is not interested in making with contact with various experts,” said Sariev.



Although President Saparmurat Niazov has made the environment a priority area of government policy, and a large proportion of foreign grants is spent on ecological projects, many local environmental groups complain that their work is hampered by the restricted access to information.



According to an NBCentralAsia source inside Turkmenistan, “All staff working for institutes that fall under the Academy of Sciences have been warned that if they access banned websites, the entire institute will be disconnected from the web.”



Just one in a hundred Turkmen citizens uses the internet. There are some resource centres belonging to international organisations which allow people to use the internet for one hour a week free of charge, but visitors often to sign up two weeks in advance. Connection speeds are low and many websites are blocked, so it is virtually impossible to get hold of information.



There are at least 30 ecology groups in Turkmenistan, but since they all have to register with the environment ministry, observers say the authorities are able to exert tight control over their activities.



“Public access to information in general must be addressed first, before any documents are signed stipulating access to and exchange of environmental information,” said an NBCentralAsia commentator. “Otherwise all the president’s signatures will be worthless. It’s in his interests to have a poorly informed society.”



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)