Summary
The eighth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention MOP8), serviced by the UNECE, opened today at the Astana Expo Conference Centre in Astana, Kazakhstan, with over 400 delegates from 93 countries. Péter Kovács, MOP8 Chair, Hungary, opened the meeting. Nursultan Nazarbayev, President, Kazakhstan, addressed delegates via a video message. Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary, UNECE, delivered a message on behalf of António Guterres, UN Secretary-General. Umirzak Shukeyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Kazakhstan, and Peter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary, also addressed delegates. The opening session concluded with a video message from Michelle Yeoh, United National Development Program (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador. High-level delegates then took part in a two-part Special Session on transboundary water cooperation: “Sharing water for people, planet, prosperity, and peace.” Speakers highlighted:
- constructive examples of regional and transboundary cooperation;
- the need for robust legal frameworks and standardized criteria;
- methods and tools to increase mutual understanding and trust; and
- sharing water in the context of growing water scarcity.
Throughout the day, delegates contributed to an art installation by artist Carolina Caycedo. Delegates shared objects brought from their home countries that symbolize the transboundary waters, rivers, and lakes they share. From these objects, Caycedo will construct a “single river of objects” during the meeting, representing the cooperation between parties that will be necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Three side events also took place during the day, addressing: the water-food-energy-ecosystem nexus; participation of non-parties in the Water Convention; and opportunities for water diplomacy in conflict-prone regions.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage and a summary report from MOP8.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
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Opening Ceremony
Special Session on Transboundary Water Cooperation and Water Allocation - Preventing Conflict and Ensuring Peace and Stability
Special Session on Transboundary Water Cooperation and Water Allocation - Sharing Waters in the Context of Growing Water Scarcity
Around the Venue
Delegates between sessions
