Istanbul, June 22-24 — The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) together with UNDP Turkey Country Office conducted an online training programme on “Harnessing the Role of Private Sector in Inclusive and Sustainable Waste Management” in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of the Republic of Turkey, the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Turkey on June 22-24, 2021.

The 3-day training programme is structured as a tailored-made rigorous technical modular seminar providing background on key concepts and recent trends in waste management in the Global South and describing how waste can be managed inclusively and sustainably. The programme also explains the new technologies in waste management and gives and comprehensive understanding by providing; technical, private sector and government perspectives on waste management. The programme supports the content by showcasing UNDP Turkey’s work on waste management and potential financial instruments in these fields.

The keynote speeches were delivered during the opening ceremony on June 22, by Mr. Sahba Sobhani, Director of IICPSD, Mr. Sukhrob Khojimatov, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Turkey, Prof. Dr. Günay Kocasoy, Secretary-General of ISWA Turkey, Mr. Recep Akdeniz, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of the Republic of Turkey.

IICPSD’s Director Mr. Sahba Sobhani opened the first day, welcoming the distinguished participants and describing the Center’s work on private sector engagement in South-South cooperation. Mr. Sobhani then highlighted the importance of waste management in sustainable development and drew attention to the global waste crisis, stressing that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused new challenges in waste processing operations. In his final remarks, Mr. Sobhani underlined that all stakeholders in the waste ecosystem should assume more responsibility for waste generation and disposal, and reiterated IICPSD’s efforts to harness the role of the private sector in sustainable and inclusive waste management.

Mr. Sukhrob Khojimatov, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Turkey, underlined the importance of inclusive and sustainable waste management for manufacturing, GDP growth and employment, as well as for sanitation and the prevention of diseases, especially in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. Mr. Khojimatov then expressed his gratitude for UNDP Turkey’s cooperation with IICPSD in identifying medical waste management practices in Turkey within the scope of the COVID-19 resilience and response project. In his final remarks, Mr. Khojimatov highlighted the critical role of the private sector in waste management and transitioning to a circular economy, recognizing the value of trainings for raising awareness for inclusive and sustainable waste management and the replication of these practices through South-South cooperation.

Prof. Dr. Günay Kocasoy highlighted that COVID-19 proved the importance of collaborative action to tackle environmental problems at a global scale and integrated the responsibilities of all stakeholders, including the public and private sector, civil society and individuals for protecting the environment. Ms. Kocasoy also described the activities of the ISWA Turkey in raising awareness and providing solutions to the environmental challenges, including their long-term work in Turkey together with the relevant stakeholders. Ms. Kocasoy expressed her gratitude to UNDP for organizing this training and expressed her excitement to see the outcomes at both the national and international levels.

Mr. Recep Akdeniz stressed the impacts of COVID-19 on social, economic, and environmental problems. He then raised the global waste crisis, as driven by rapid population growth and a lack of proper waste management, highlighting that recycling and regular waste storage practices are among the Government of Turkey’s policy priorities. Mr. Akdeniz also illustrated Turkey’s zero-waste initiative and reiterated the Government’s commitment to transitioning to a circular economy.

During the 3-day training programme, Mrs. Meral Mungan Arda, Project Coordinator at UNDP Turkey, Prof. Günay Kocasoy, Ms. Aslıhan Albostan, Portfolio Lead at IICPSD, UNDP Consultant Mr. Mahmut Osmanbaşoğlu,  Ms. Sinem Erdoğdu, Expert at UNDP, and  Ms. Hülya Çakır, Head of Education and the Zero-Waste Initiative at the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of the Republic of Turkey provided in-depth training modules.

IICPSD’s work under the theme of Private Sector Engagement through South-South Cooperation to Achieve SDGs aims to support the transfer of knowledge, capacities, resources and technical knowledge to emerging markets in the Global South, which will provide solutions to development problems by harnessing the role of the private sector. IICPSD will continue its efforts through its knowledge products and training programmes for harnessing the role of the private sector to tackle the development challenges.

For any inquiries, please contact:

Özge Aksaray, ozge.aksaray@undp.org