Interviews / Turkmenistan
CABAR.asia talked with the esteemed UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Ms Mary Lawlor, to explore potential avenues for safeguarding and upholding human rights in Central Asia. The rapporteur emphasized her people-centred approach, focusing on the most vulnerable defenders. The rapporteur encouraged anyone with reliable information about human rights defenders’ rights violations to contact her office. We discussed the importance of UN mechanisms in protecting human rights and holding governments accountable, despite the challenges of “democratic backsliding” in some countries of the Central Asian region.
How has the war in Ukraine transformed the security landscape in the post-Soviet space, particularly in Central Asia? What new developments are we witnessing in the energy security domain, and how will they change the region? These questions to Ambassador Dr Thomas Greminger, Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) He is sharing his views on the changing security situation in Central Asia and beyond exclusively for CABAR.asia. (more…)
“The Taliban model of governance is not suitable and sustainable for a multicultural and multinational country like Afghanistan. The more the Taliban suppress the people, the more the resistance will be empowered”, says Dr. Omar Sadr, a research fellow at the University of Pittsburgh.
What are the major risks posed by climate change in Central Asia? Will heatwaves in summer be the new normal? How Central Asia can address the issue as a region? What can be done at the level of individual countries to adapt to climate change? The editorial of CABAR.asia discussed these and other questions with Roman Vakulchuk who holds a PhD in Economics and works as Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) focusing on climate change and renewable energy. (more…)
“Today the US Strategy for Central Asia is defunct. It has to be thought through from the beginning and a new strategy has to be devised that more adequately embraces current realities” – states Dr. Frederick Starr, an American academic historian, expert on Central Asia, Russia and Eurasia, and chairman of the Central Asia and Caucasus Institute, in an interview to CABAR.asia.
“Central Asia has a high potential for solar and wind energy and also for hydropower. Low population density, large territory, and a big number of sunny days per year make Central Asia unique for renewable energy development,” says Roman Vakulchuk, Senior Researcher and Head of Сenter for Energy Research at the Norwegian Institute of International Relations (NUPI).
“After 30 years of independent life, we can say that there has not been strong energy security framework thought by the Central Asia states” – states Dr. Luca Anceschi, energy specialist, professor of Eurasian Studies at the University of Glasgow in an interview with CABAR.asia analytical platform.
In an interview with CABAR.asia analytical platform, a musician, finalist of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, and UNHCR Russia Goodwill Ambassador Manizha Sangin spoke about the problem of violence against female migrants in Russia, their insecurity, and her new Foundation’s plans to help them.
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“The internet is like the market square, a public space – people should be allowed to say their views, they should be able to voice non-violent criticism of politicians and the authorities without fear of being persecuted for doing so” – states Hugh Williamson, director of the Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia division in an interview to CABAR.asia analytical platform.
Alexander Cooley, professor of political science at Barnard College, director of the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, in an interview for CABAR.asia spoke about the evolution of foreign policy of Central Asian countries; the problems and challenges these countries will face in the near future and why the United States should not get involved in a new competition of great powers in the region.