DUSHANBE, August 6, 2013, Asia-Plus — Briefing on “The Preparatory Process of the High-level International Conference on Water Cooperation (Dushanbe, August 20-21, 2013)” took place at UN Headquarters in New York on August 5, according to the Tajik MFA information department.
Representatives of more than 100 member nations of the United Nations reportedly attended the briefing. Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to the United Nations, Ambassador Sirojiddin Aslov, informed those present about the structure and the program of the conference, activities of the International Steering Committee, the Conference’s website, and the number of delegations that confirmed their participation in the Conference.
We will recall that the first meeting of the International Steering Committee of the High-Level International Conference on Water Cooperation was held in Dushanbe on March 5, 2013. It was attended by members of the International Steering Committee, representatives of the National Organizing Committee, members of the National Working Group and representatives of International organizations based in Dushanbe. Several members of the International Steering Committee joined the discussion via Skype and video conferencing.
The program included a number of issues related to the preparatory process of the Dushanbe International Conference, as well as an overview of the activities carried out within the framework of the International Year of Water Cooperation. The members of the International Steering Committee and other participants of the meeting reportedly discussed issues in preparation for the High Level International Conference on Water Cooperation to be held on August 20-21, 2013 in Dushanbe. In particular the issues of choice of priority themes, the structure of the conference program, the key persons to be invited to participate as keynote speakers, chairmen and moderators of the sessions and the outcomes of the conference.
The International Steering Committee was formed in order to work more closely with international organizations and other stakeholders on the preparation and the success of the High-Level International Conference on Water Cooperation. It consists of more than 20 prominent political figures, academics, and experts from various stakeholders, including governments, UN institutions, international governmental and non-governmental organizations from different regions of the world and different sectors.
The Conference that is scheduled for August 20-21 aims to spur water cooperation, in particular at trans-boundary level, through the promotion of successful policies and best practices, wider public participation, and the encouragement of policy makers to support water cooperation at all levels to achieve internationally agreed goals on water. The Conference also gives an opportunity to discuss and develop new measures to accelerate the efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and recommendations for further actions after 2015, including contribution to the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to water.
