Washington, DC - The C5+1 is a platform that brings together the five states of Central Asia and the United States to discuss and work on issues of common concern. At the first C5+1 ministerial, held in Samarkand in November 2015, the six ministers agreed to develop regional projects to improve security, promote economic connectivity, and increase resilience against the impacts of climate change. At the second C5+1 ministerial, held in Washington in August 2016, the six ministers agreed to launch five corresponding projects, which the United States plans to support with up to $15 million (pending congressional notification).
1. Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) Regional Dialogue: The GCTF Regional Dialogue will seek to counter the challenges of foreign terrorist fighters and radicalization to violence in Central Asia. The dialogue will bring together policymakers and subject-matter experts from Central Asia and abroad to share perspectives on the threat of foreign terrorist fighters, including best practices and regional approaches for countering the radicalization, departure, and return of fighters. The dialogue will also work to implement The Hague–Marrakech Memorandum on Good Practices for a More Effective Response to the Foreign Terrorist Fighter Phenomenon.
2. Central Asia Business Competitiveness (CABC): The CABC project will seek to make it easier for businesses in Central Asia to increase exports and enter new markets. To begin, the project will focus on horticultural sub-sectors with strong export potential. The project will work with companies to increase their competitiveness and participation in global value chains. The project will also work with governments and trade authorities on policies that will make it easier for businesses to export goods. In addition, the project will assist businesses to attract capital and technology, with the goal of improving food production, processing, and packaging.
3. Transport Corridor Development (TCD): The TCD project will aim to reduce the cost and time of moving goods across borders in Central Asia, as well as improve the quality of transport and logistics services throughout the entire region. The project will work with businesses, trade authorities, and governments to identify and reduce non-tariff barriers to trade along key corridors. In addition, the project will work with transport and logistics firms to reduce inefficiencies and improve competitiveness. The project will also provide businesses with networking opportunities as well as training and information on topics such as competitiveness benchmarking, route planning skills, air freight trends, refrigerated transport developments, freight consolidation methods, logistics center management, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
4. Power the Future: Power the Future will help energy sector policymakers and mid-level staff in their efforts to scale up renewable energy throughout Central Asia. The project will provide technical and planning assistance on U.S. and international best practices to increase renewable energy sector development. The United States will also provide training and technical assistance on strategic energy planning, competitive procurement, grid integration, smart incentives, renewable energy zones, and innovative finance.
5. Supporting National and Regional Adaptation Planning: This project will seek to increase the capacity of Central Asian states to plan for adaptation against the impacts of climate change. The project will work to identify regional priorities and cross-border challenges for climate change adaptation. It will also improve the availability of high-quality information on and analysis of climate science. In addition, the United States will provide technical assistance to key stakeholders and coordinate with development assistance partners. These efforts will support each country’s national adaptation planning process under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, the countries will identify and share data and indicators that can improve climate services, assess cross-border climate challenges, and support evaluation and monitoring. These data will then be used to incorporate shared cross-border adaptation strategies into the countries’ national adaptation planning process.