Highlights and images for 25 October 2024

Delegates were treated with not one but two offers to host their next MOP, with Senegal and Namibia both voicing their willingness to organize it, following which the latter graciously supported Senegal; hence Dakar will be the location of MOP 11.

After this upbeat beginning, delegates entered a quagmire with Ukraine opposing the election of the Russian Federation to the Water Convention’s 2025-2027 Bureau. A brief exchange did not lead to consensus on this matter so the election was moved to a vote. Later during the day, it transpired that the Russian nominee had not received the required majority of votes and will, therefore, not be joining the Bureau in the next triennium.

In the meantime, participants had returned their focus to the agenda at hand, moving to the practical issues of integrated water resources management and delving into the source-to-sea management of transboundary waters, commenting that bringing the saltwater and freshwater communities together is not always easy.

With the current seesaw of droughts and floods in many parts of the world, groundwater is often used to compensate for a lack of surface water. However, extraction is frequently carried out haphazardly and without integrated planning. Delegates addressed such issues during a session on the conjunctive management of transboundary surface waters and groundwaters.

Discussions then centered on National Policy Dialogues (NPDs) on integrated water resources management. Delegates heard examples of topics discussed during NPDs in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia since 2022, including: legal and policy reforms; transboundary cooperation; wastewater-based epidemiology; water monitoring; and river basin management plans. Many countries shared their positive experiences with NPDs, illustrating how these processes are instrumental in developing the strategic cross-sectoral vision of the water sector at the national level. Iraq, which only recently became a Party to the Water Convention, expressed its interest in applying this approach.

Addressing the agenda item on facilitating funding and financing of transboundary water cooperation, delegates celebrated the main achievements in this area since 2022, notably: strengthened partnership with key technical and financial partners; availability of a comprehensive overview of sources of funding for transboundary water cooperation and management; and new engagement with private-sector organizations.

Discussions then addressed how to support monitoring, assessment, and information sharing in transboundary basins. A new publication on Good Practices and Lessons Learned in Data-sharing in Transboundary Basins was presented. The meeting concluded that data and information sharing forms a common basis for transboundary water cooperation, enables informed decision making, builds trust between stakeholders, and helps maximize the benefits of cooperation over shared waters.

Participants also heard presentations on partnerships and contributions to global processes, including those with UN Water, the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, and the International Water Assessment Centre.

Importantly, during the final hours of the meeting, delegates approved the Programme of Work for 2025-2027 and the resources needed for its implementation. Several interventions reaffirmed the role of transboundary water collaboration in promoting peace and sustainable development, and urged increased funding for its implementation. There was broad support for the decision to establish an ad hoc open-ended working group to elaborate a proposal for a more sustainable and predictable financing mechanism for the Convention’s work.

In closing the session, delegates approved over 20 decisions. Chair Liiv closed the meeting at 6:20pm.