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17th NEWSLETTER
September to
December 2022
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This newsletter highlights intergovernmental meetings, events, news, and workshops that took place from September to December 2022 under the Water Convention and the Protocol on Water Health.
The main highlights of this period were two: the Sixth Session of the Meeting of the Parties of the Protocol on Water and Heath (MOP6, Geneva, 16 to 18 November 2022) and the accession of Cameroon to the Water Convention.
MOP6 came at a crucial time as governments prepare for the 2023 United Nations Water Conference, which will be an essential opportunity to make commitments on water, sanitation, hygiene, and health to fully translate the human rights to water and sanitation into practice and to leave no one behind.
The accession of Cameroon as the 47th Party to the Water Convention on 1 November 2022 further consolidates the fast-building momentum for water cooperation and the Water Convention in Africa.
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Did you know that?
The Protocol on Water and Health, jointly serviced by UNECE and WHO/Europe, offers a set of tools and an effective intergovernmental framework which helps to address climate change impacts, for example through its target-setting mechanism. By setting climate-sensitive targets countries can increase the resilience of their water and sanitation sectors.
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Pan-European countries come together to act on the climate crisis and COVID-19 recovery through better water management
Between 16 and 18 November 2022, more than 300 participants gathered in Geneva and online for the Sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health. The high-level session discussed the impacts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on water and health in the pan-European region.
The Meeting of the Parties, among others, adopted its ambitious programme of work for 2023-2025, which addresses current water and health-related challenges in the region. The outcomes of the meeting, particularly the high-level session, will feed into the preparation for the 2023 United Nations Water Conference. The meeting also launched several new publications such as on affordability, sanitation, etc. For more information, please see here.
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Cameroon becomes 6th African country to join the UN Water Convention
After the deposit on 1 November 2022 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the instruments of ratification accession at the UN headquarters in New York, Cameroon became the 47th Party to the Water Convention.
This is an important step for the wider region, as Cameroon shares most of its water resources with other states including Chad, Nigeria, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. In the face of rising water stress, cooperation on these shared waters is essential to ensure facilitate economic sustainable development, climate change adaptation and to preserve regional stability.
In addition, the Federal Executive Council of Nigeria also adopted the law for accession to the Water Convention in October 2022.
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Breaking down silos: how to manage water holistically from source-to-sea
Bringing together the freshwater and ocean communities, the Global Workshop on Source-to-sea Management gathered more than 300 key stakeholders in Geneva and online from 14 to 16 December 2022 with the aim to strengthen cooperation, identify synergies between their activities and share good practices in policy-making. The Global Workshop on Source to Sea Management was organized under the auspices of the Water Convention serviced by UNECE, in partnership with Estonia, Slovenia, the Global Water Partnership (GWP), the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the GEF IW: LEARN platform, The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan.
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Seventh meeting of the Task Force on Water, Food, Energy and Ecosystem Nexus
The seventh meeting of the Task Force on Water Food Energy Ecosystems Nexus was organised in a hybrid format in the Palais des Nations, Geneva on 12 and 13 December 2022.
The meeting discussed, planned and provided guidance to the implementation of the activities on water food energy ecosystems nexus, as well as on water allocation, under the programme of work for 2022-2024 of the Water Convention.
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UN-Water Summit on Groundwater
Groundwater provides almost half of all drinking water worldwide, however countries still face challenges with the management and protection of this vital resource. The UN-Water Summit on Groundwater took place on 7 and 8 December 2022 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, and online. The Summit unified the statements from all major groundwater-related events in 2022 into one comprehensive groundwater message for the United Nations 2023 Water Conference. The Water Convention secretariat contributed to the organization of the Regional Dialogues Session (coordinated by ESCWA) and Transboundary Aquifers Session (coordinated by UNESCO, UNECE and IGRAC), both on 8 December 2022.
During the summit, ahead of the United Nations conference on water (22–24 March 2023), governments and institutions from around the world launched the Transboundary Water Cooperation Coalition.
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National workshop related to the two UN Water Conventions: Tanzania’s accession process- 1 and 2 December
The workshop informed stakeholders in Tanzania about the Water Convention), shared about the processes initiated by the government of Tanzania to become a party to the two UN Water Conventions and discussed the next steps in the accession process. Tanzania’s accession would help consolidate the fast-building momentum for water cooperation in Africa and its lessons learned could also benefit other African regions.
Tanzania’s accession would build on longstanding engagement and cooperation with neighbouring countries in managing and developing transboundary water resources. Learn more about the workshop here.
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2nd International Symposium on Transboundary Waters in Latin America and the Caribbean- 1 and 2 December 2022
Transboundary basins in Latin America and the Caribbean face great challenges, including those related to governance, financing, public participation, policies and legislation. The Water Convention supported the organization of this Regional Symposium (La Paz, Bolivia, 1-2 December 2022) hosted by Bolivia, also supported by IDB, OAS, GIZ and SDC. It strengthened dialogue, cooperation, exchange of experiences, lessons learned and good practices among Latin American and Caribbean countries on the management of transboundary water resources.
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Dominican Republic is the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to consider joining the Water Convention
The Dominican Republic has taken important steps to ensure the sustainability of its natural resources through better conservation, management and sustainable use of its transboundary waters. It includes the undertaking of a process to accede to the Water Convention.
The National Workshop on Information and Exchange on the Water Convention: Accession Process and Priorities (Santo Domingo, 31 October 2022) was a milestone in that process, bringing together more than 85 stakeholders to discuss the benefits of accession and of the practical application of the Convention to address the challenges of managing shared water resources in the country. The accession of the Dominican Republic could give a strong impetus to water cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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The Water Convention at COP27
Climate change and water are inextricably linked. Most climate change impacts are indeed expressed via the water cycle. Also, climate change knows no borders. Cooperation between countries is thus essential for both climate change adaptation and mitigation. For this reason, the Secretariat of the Water Convention contributed to and organise different side-events at the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 27), hosted by the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Sharm-El-Sheikh. More information about our activities at COP 27 can be found here.
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The thirteenth meeting of the Water Convention’s Task Force on Water and Climate (19 October 2022)
The thirteenth meeting of the Task Force on Water and Climate was organised in a hybrid format in Geneva on 19 October 2022. The Task Force is responsible for activities related to adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins, including flood and drought management. Its thirteenth meeting discussed inputs to the global processes such as the COP27 and provided guidance to the implementation of the activities on water and climate under the programme of work for 2022-2024 of the Water Convention.
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The Global Workshop on Water, Agriculture and Climate Change (17-18 October 2022)
The Global Workshop on Water, Agriculture and Climate Change was organised on 17 and 18 October 2022 in Geneva and online, under the leadership of the Netherlands and Switzerland, in cooperation with the Adaptation Fund, FAO, INBO and IWMI. It brought together more than 200 experts from the water, climate change, agriculture, environment communities as well as from transboundary basin organisations to strengthen cooperation and jointly discuss best practices and lessons learned to mitigate the effects of climate change and related extreme weather events on agricultural production whilst safeguarding water quality and quantity for societies, economic sectors and the environment. The workshop also explored the added value and the challenges of financing and implementation of transboundary adaptation initiatives.
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Water Allocation in Central Asia
On 2-3 November 2022, the Regional Workshop “International experience related to transboundary water allocation and prospects for the development of cooperation on the joint use of water resources in Central Asia” was held in Astana, Kazakhstan. It was organized by the International Water Assessment Centre (IWAC) in cooperation with the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and in cooperation with UNECE. Participants discussed international experience in water allocation based on the Water Convention’s Handbook on Water Allocation in a Transboundary Context. They also discussed opportunities for strengthening cooperation on water resources in Central Asia. Presentations are available in English and Russian.
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National Policy Dialogue on Integrated Water Resources Management launched in Uzbekistan
The First Steering Committee meeting of the National Water Policy Dialogue (NPD) on Integrated Water Resources Management took place on 27 September 2022 in hybrid format under the chairmanship of Mr Shavkat Khamraev, Minister of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Key stakeholders, including national experts from Uzbekistan, representatives of the European Union (EU), international and regional organizations, and NGOs attended this event. The participants discussed Uzbekistan’s achievements, challenges and priorities related to the water policy, as well as safe and equitable water supply and sanitation, transboundary cooperation, and agreed on a way forward for the NPD implementation.
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Time to submit commitments on transboundary cooperation and water and health!
The United Nations 2023 Water Conference (New York, 22–24 March 2023) represents an important opportunity for both the Water Convention and the Protocol on Water and Health to raise attention to the topic of transboundary water cooperation and to announce concrete commitments on water, sanitation, hygiene, and health. One of the five interactive dialogues at the Conference will be devoted to water for cooperation incl. transboundary cooperation and one on Water for Health, including the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Conference outcomes will include the Water Action Agenda – a collection of commitments and actions that help deliver on the water actions in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We encourage you to submit commitments on transboundary water cooperation and water and heath! Governments and stakeholders can register their commitments here.
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2023 - More activities ahead!
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Translated publications which have become available
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Water Convention and Protocol on Water and Health on the news
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Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses
and International Lakes
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Palais des Nations, 8-14 avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva, Switzerland
e-mail: water.convention@un.org
Website: https://unece.org/environment-policy/water
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