A view of the room during one of the plenary sessions of MOP7

The eighth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the UN Economic Commission for Europe Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UNECE Water Convention MOP8) will take place 10-12 October 2018 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Originally negotiated as a regional framework for the pan-European region, the Convention was amended to allow accession by all United Nations member states. The eighth session of the Meeting of the Parties will mark a historical milestone in the Convention’s development as it will see the participation of the first parties from Africa.

Around 400 representatives will consider different aspects of transboundary water cooperation included in the Convention’s 2016-2018 programme of work, such as the benefits of cooperation, the water-food-energy-ecosystem nexus, climate change adaptation, and industrial safety.

Delegates will also review progress in implementing the Convention and transboundary water cooperation more broadly, notably by launching the first report on the Convention’s implementation. Delegates will also discuss the first reporting on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 6.5.2, which is the proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation. The UNECE and UNESCO will support this discussion, in their roles as the two custodian agencies for indicator 6.5.2. The meeting will also adopt a strategy for the implementation of the Convention at the global level and the Convention’s programme of work for 2019-2021.

A high-level segment will take place on 10 October, during which parties will discuss:

• how to share waters in the context of growing water scarcity
• the relevant impacts on development, peace, and stability
• and how the Convention can promote reasonable, equitable, and sustainable water allocation and benefit sharing.

A high-level workshop on Financing Transboundary Basin Development will precede the Meeting of the Parties on 9 October. The objective of the workshop is to enhance the capacity of Ministers and other high-level officials in financing transboundary water cooperation. Up to 45 participants will take part.

The UNECE Water Convention was adopted in Helsinki in 1992 and entered into force in 1996. The Convention provides a framework for transboundary water cooperation and the sustainable management of surface and groundwater shared by countries. To date, 41 European countries and two African countries are parties to the Convention. The Meeting of the Parties to the Convention takes place every three years.