The Asia Region Online Workshop Supporting the Monitoring and Implementation of SDG indicator 6.5.2 on Transboundary Water Cooperation was held virtually on 17 September 2020, (1.30pm-5.20pm, Jakarta/Bangkok time zone) – (12.30pm-4.20pm, Beijing time zone)  - (11am-2.50pm, Kabul time zone) – (8.30am-12.20, Paris/Geneva time zone).

The workshop was convened by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the two co-custodian agencies of SDG 6.5.2 indicator, in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP).

The second reporting phase of SDG indicator 6.5.2 started at the beginning of 2020 with a reporting deadline on 30 June 2020. While the response rate has been high, not all 153 countries sharing water resources have submitted their national report. This online workshop is organized as part of a series of thematic consultation and sub-regional workshops to build capacity in monitoring progress and reporting on SDG 6.5.2. It is organized in the framework of the second phase of the UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6.

The main objective of the workshop was to support countries in the “SDG Regions” South-eastern Asia, Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, and Oceania to collect, report and make use of data for the 2nd reporting exercise on SDG indicator 6.5.2 measuring progress on transboundary water cooperation. The workshop intended to raise capacity of Asian countries to increase their involvement and the quality of their reports in the current reporting exercise and how to use the process of reporting to enhance water cooperation.

Further information on reporting on SDG indicator 6.5.2 is available at http://www.unece.org/water/transboundary_water_cooperation_reporting.html and https://www.sdg6monitoring.org/indicator-652/

Target audience

The workshop was targeted to experts responsible for completing the reporting template or coordinating the reporting process on SDG indicator 6.5.2, are involved in the SDG 6 process at the national level, in particular the SDG 6 overall focal points, the 6.5.1 focal points or the national statistical offices, or are involved in transboundary water cooperation.