DUSHANBE, 04.09.2023 (NIAT Khovar) – Further joint actions to strengthen the role of the Dushanbe Water Process as a platform for reviewing the implementation of the International Water Decade were discussed during the meeting of the Special Envoy of the President of Tajikistan to the Coalition of Leaders on Water and Climate, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea Sulton Rahimzoda with the Global Director for the World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice Kumar Jha.

The meeting took place within the framework of the World Water Week in Stockholm. It was focused on issues of tracking the results of the UN 2023 Water Conference, including issues of active involvement of the World Bank in the formation and promotion of the Water Agenda of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-28), as well as holding a high-level joint event within the framework of COP-28 with the participation of high-ranking officials of the UN Member States and international financial institutions in order to attract large financial resources to address global water issues.

As part of the World Water Week, it was also discussed the issues of cooperation in the joint promotion of water issues on the global political agenda and the role of Canada in this context, further joint steps of Tajikistan and the Netherlands following the results of the UN 2023 Water Conference, including the implementation of the Agenda for Action in the field of water resources, joint action to advance the COP28 Water Agenda in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates.

In particular, issues of cooperation on the implementation of the Global Early Warning for All Initiative (EW4All), which was launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2022, were discussed.

The parties also discussed issues of cooperation in the implementation of the outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference related to disaster risk reduction, issues of cooperation with the International Union for Conservation of Nature in the implementation of the International Water Decade, as well as exchanged views on strengthening the role of the Dushanbe Process in tracking the outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference.

During the meetings, development partners highly appreciated the leadership of Tajikistan in promoting water issues at the global level and expressed their high readiness for further cooperation.