DUSHANBE, 21.09.2017 /NIAT «Khovar»/. The Founder of Peace and National Unity – Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan His Excellency Emomali Rahmon took part at the Fourth Meeting of the High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) in New York.

The meeting was attended by United Nations Secretary-General and President of the World Bank Group and other officials.

Addressing the Fourth Meeting of the High Level Panel on Water, Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan, pointed out that during its years of operation,  the Panel gave a new impetus to the promoting of understanding of the role of water resources in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in coming years HLPW Action Plan will facilitate the solution of water related issues.

The members of High-Level Panel on Water highly appraised promoting Tajikistan’s initiative on announcing of the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028, and, in this context, it was stressed that the international community will employ the opportunities provided by the Decade and make a significant decrease in water problems.

Furthermore, it expressed confidence that the main goal of the Decade is to increase awareness of water resources and its role in the global development agenda, as well as to promote the implementation of the water related SDGs. Moreover, the Decade is aimed at facilitating an adoption of joint actions towards this goal.

The Head of State Emomali Rahmon stressed that in connection with explanation of the goals and targets of the Decade, Tajikistan provided Concept note on the implementation of the Decade, which was proposed within the Panel, and now we are working at its implementation, and Tajikistan at the national level, adopted a Plan of action on the implementation of the Decade to establish under the Government of Tajikistan a Special Centre and Preparatory Committee for monitoring the implementation of the Decade.

The Fourth Meeting of the High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) was also addressed by the President of the Republic of Mauritius — Mrs Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the President of Hungary — Janos Ader, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh — Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands — Mark Rutte, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs — Hon. Julie Bishop, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan — Imad Najib Fakhoury, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru — Eduardo Ferreyros Kuppers and Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Mexico — Rodolfo Lacy Tamayo.