UN
SRSG KAHA IMNADZE PARTICIPATES IN THE 3RD HIGH-LEVEL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DECADE FOR ACTION “WATER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT” 2018 – 2028
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan
On 10-11 June, Kaha Imnadze, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Asia, Head of UNRCCA, participated in the Third High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028, jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the United Nations.
The Conference aimed to follow up on commitments made during the UN 2023 Water Conference and accelerate actions towards achieving the Water Action Agenda. The Conference was attended by high-level delegations from more than 75 countries and high-level UN officials, including H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the United Nations General Assembly and H.E. Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the UNESCO.
Addressing the Plenary session of the Conference, SRSG highlighted that: “… regional dialogue, cooperation and trust are essential for efficient use and peaceful management of Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, against the backdrop of growing aridity and shrinking availability of water….” Highlighting importance of regional cooperation, he stressed that joint initiatives: “…nourish the soil” for new openings and opportunities to find mutual and long-term responses to water, energy and environmental resources based on perceptions of shared risks from climate change.”
On 10 June, within the framework of the Third High-Level International Conference UNRCCA jointly with the Government of Tajikistan, UNESCO, GIZ, WMO, UN Women and other partners, co-organized two forums - the “International Glacier Forum” and the “Water and Women” Forum.
The “Water and Women” Forum sought to consolidate action and exchange best practices on promoting the role of women in water management, governance and water diplomacy. The event featured active participation of the members of the UNRCCA-supported regional platform - Central Asia Women Leaders’ Caucus.
The International Glaciers Forum, dedicated to the International Year of Glacier Preservation 2025 (IYGP), provided a political and expert platform to present the Roadmap for IYGP 2025, and to discuss pressing issues of the glacier melt, impact of climate change and to formulate common actions. The Forum highlighted best practices, strategies, and synergies needed to preserve glaciers and water resources in Central Asia by building resilience and ensuring adaptation and mitigation measures in regard to climate.
Both events concluded with adoption of concrete actionable recommendations, thereby contributing to the overall objectives of the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028.
Within the framework of his visit to Tajikistan, SRSG traveled to the border areas to acquire firsthand information about the situation at the Tajik-Afghan border.
In advance of the 3rd International High-Level Conference SRSG met with H.E. Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan. The sides exchanged views on the security developments in the region, including border issues and challenges to regional security related to the situation in Afghanistan.
