DUSHANBE, 22.03.2023 (NIAT Khovar) – On March 22, the Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, in New York of the United States of America, took part and delivered a speech at the United Nations Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Objectives of the International Decade of Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028″.

The Conference was attended by the heads of state and government of Botswana, Bolivia, Iraq, Slovenia, Liberia, the Chairman of the Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tuvalu, Namibia, the vice-premiers of Barbados, Cuba, Congo, Montenegro, Ethiopia, Vietnam, official delegations of UN member states, including 11 delegations headed by ministers, as well as heads and representatives of 100 regional and international organizations, including the President of the World Bank.

It should be noted that this Conference is considered historic, as it is held for the second time after the First UN Water Conference in 1977 in Argentina.

It should be noted that the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands have prepared and are holding the Conference.

Before the start of the 2023 UN Water Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the implementation of the International Decade of Action «Water for Sustainable Development», 2018-2028, performers from Tajikistan and the Netherlands performed live music called «Water».

The participants of the Conference were shown a video from several regions of the world about the problems and opportunities related to water and water resources.

10 representatives from different regions of the world presented 10 symbols related to water issues to the UN and placed on the stage on columns connected by belts.

Then the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and the King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander were invited to the stage, who connected columns 5 and 6. A short text about the importance of water was placed on the belt.

The heads of state of Tajikistan and the Netherlands took their places in the hall, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres opened the Conference with an opening speech.

The UN Secretary General, in his capacity as Interim Chairman of the UN Water Conference, appointed the heads of the delegations of Tajikistan and the Netherlands as chairmen of the Conference and invited them to take their places on the main podium of the UN General Assembly.

Conference co-chairs — the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Protocol Affairs took their places at the main podium of the UN General Assembly conference.

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, officially declared the conference open and addressed the audience.

First, the Head of State, Emomali Rahmon, sincerely congratulated all the participants of the high-level event on the occasion of the World Water Day and the International Day of Navruz.

It was emphasized that Tajikistan has been at the forefront of the global water agenda for more than two decades. At the initiative of the Tajik side, the United Nations General Assembly adopted 9 resolutions on water issues, and their implementation laid a solid foundation for achieving coordinated global water goals.

The President of the country, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, expressed his opinion on the complex and confusing situation in the modern world, problems related to water, climate change, the impact of natural disasters on the economy and security of countries, Tajikistan’s initiatives towards the development of a «green» economy and the production of «green» energy, stressed that water resources today are under serious threat from various hazards that affect all spheres of people’s lives, especially food security, green energy production and the sustainability of nature.

It was emphasized that this is why, in preparing for the Conference, we, together with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and our partners in the United Nations, have focused on making commitments to accelerate action to achieve the water-related development goals.
President Emomali Rahmon noted that we will continue our joint efforts to resolve water and climate issues within the framework of the United Nations, including during the implementation of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation announced in December last year by the United Nations General Assembly at the initiative of Tajikistan.

In this context, in 2025 Tajikistan will host in Dushanbe a high-level international conference on the preservation of glaciers.

During his speech at the Water Conference, the Head of State, Emomali Rahmon, spoke about the importance and priority of developing and adopting a number of documents and programs, such as the National Strategy of Tajikistan in the water sector and the National Target Program.

In order to implement actions and commitments, especially the implementation of the Water Action Program, it was proposed to widely use the Dushanbe Water Process as a tracking platform.

In conclusion, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, confidently stated that joint efforts, new commitments and actions of countries and international organizations within the framework of the United Nations Water Conference and the implementation of its plans will give the desired results.

After the speech, the Head of State, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, invited King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the UN General Assembly Chaba Koroshi and President of the UN Economic and Social Commission Luchesara Stoeva to the rostrum for a speech.

The plenary session of the Water Conference was chaired by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, and a number of high-ranking leaders of the UN member countries spoke at it.

At the plenary session, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, as Chairman of the UN Water Conference, gave the floor to the President of Bolivia, Luis Alberto Arce, the President of Iraq, Abdul Latif Rashid, the President of the Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zelika Svyanovich, the President of Botswana, Masisi Mokgveetsi, and the President of Slovenia, Natasha Pirc Musar.

All speakers discussed the results of the chairmanship of Tajikistan and the Netherlands at the UN Water Conference — 2023 on the Mid-term Comprehensive Review of the implementation of the International Decade of Action «Water for Sustainable Development», 2018-2028, the high level organization of the historic UN water event, constructive initiatives of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan on water issues and climate, Tajikistan’s leadership in the UN water process.

The work of the UN Water Conference-2023 will continue until March 24 under the chairmanship of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.