There are countless issues on the international agenda, prompted by a variety of pressing human problems. Among the most important and clearly articulated issues of global scale, special attention is paid to the issues in the field of vision of the United Nations. One of these issues was the initiative taken 25 years ago, on October 1, 1999, by the Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon, when he proposed to declare 2003 the International Year of Fresh Water. A quarter of a century has passed since then, but the importance of water initiative has only grown; it has been supported by the world community and transformed into a global system of water partnerships.

On this notable occasion, under the guidance of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, Sirojiddin Muhriddin, the publishing house «All World» has released a collection of books dedicated to the implementation of the initiative, entitled «Emomali Rahmon’s Water Diplomacy: from the first step to global partnership».

This collection convincingly demonstrates not only the diversity and complexity of the problem of fresh water use by mankind, but also Tajikistan’s deep understanding of this global problem. Documents included in the book, such as UN General Assembly resolutions, reports of the UN Secretary General and numerous speeches of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon emphasize the significant and successful work done by the Government of Tajikistan. These materials vividly illustrate the history of the emergence and development of the Leader of the Nation’s “water diplomacy”, which has become a new phenomenon in international relations.

Thanks to the initiatives of H.E Emomali Rahmon, water has been at the top of the UN agenda for a quarter of a century, and water issues are becoming a unifying force in modern international relations.

The collection is not only supported by persuasive documents and speeches, but also contains a lot of informative material, which makes it much easier to understand. It can be useful for politicians and diplomats as well as for specialists in economics, ecology and water issues. It will also be of interest to teachers and students in higher education institutions studying water-related issues.