HIGHLIGHTS
The 9th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention was organized by UNECE in cooperation with the Government of Estonia. It was a milestone for reviewing and accelerating progress towards achieving SDG target 6.5, discussing challenges and good practices related to transboundary water cooperation and the role of the Convention.
A continuously growing interest in transboundary water cooperation and the Water Convention
Over 500 participants, from more than 100 countries, both Parties and non-Parties to the Convention, as well as from joint bodies, international and non-governmental organizations, academia and youth attended the meeting. More than 30 high-level participants (Ministers, heads of organizations and others) confirmed that transboundary water cooperation was crucial for peace and preventing conflict and often lead to benefits beyond water. Ministers from The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal signed a declaration with a commitment to establish a framework for cooperation on the Senegal-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin.
Confirming the Convention’s growing recognition worldwide, the Meeting welcomed recent new Parties. Several African and Latin American countries expressed interest in studying the value added of or acceding to the Convention.
A new programme of work to further strengthen water cooperation
The Meeting of the Parties reviewed progress achieved on a variety of aspects of transboundary water cooperation on which the Convention has worked in 2019-2021, including: the development of agreements in shared basins; equitable and sustainable water allocation in a transboundary context; benefits of transboundary cooperation; water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus; monitoring, assessment and data-sharing; climate change adaptation, and; financing of transboundary water cooperation. Activities under the Convention will carry on according to the programme of work for 2022-2024adopted by the Meeting of the Parties.
New status reports and tools to support transboundary water cooperation
The second report on the SDG indicator 6.5.2 (UNECE, UNESCO, 2021) shows that only 24 countries worldwide have all their shared waters covered by operational arrangements for water cooperation. The second report on the Water Convention proves that the Convention effectively supports cooperation.
Several challenges are still faced by countries in cooperating for the joint management of transboundary waters. The Practical guide on the development of agreements and other arrangements for transboundary cooperation helps countries in their negotiations to develop agreements. The Handbook on water allocation in a transboundary context provides methods and good practices to help share waters in an equitable and reasonable way. Solutions and investments in the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus in transboundary basins shows how to overcome silo approaches for the benefit of all. And Funding and financing of transboundary water cooperation and basin development explains financial needs and possible financing sources to support these endeavours.
Other main decisions
The Meeting of the Parties adopted targets for a more sustainable and predictable funding of the work under the Convention, as well as a procedure for proposing to host future sessions of the Meeting of the Parties.
Related press releases and coverage
IISD reporting Summary report, 29 September - 1 October 2021
UN Web TV recordings