Skip to main content

18th meeting of the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) under the Water Convention

19 - 21 June 2023
Salle XXVI, Building E, Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland

The meeting of the Working Group on IWRM under the Water Convention brought together 300 participants in person and online, including government representatives from over 80 countries, to review progress of the work under the Water Convention and guide its future implementation. 

We were pleased to welcome the countries which joined the community of the Parties of the Water Convention since the last meeting of the Working Group: Cameroon (acceded: 1 November 2022), Nigeria (acceded: 22 March 2023), Iraq (acceded: 24 March 2023) and Namibia (acceded: 8 June 2023) – and to hear numerous countries expressing their interest to join the Convention.  

The Working Group reviewed implementation of the Water Convention programme of work for 2022–2024; discussed the main outcomes of the United Nations 2023 Water Conference (New York, 22–24 March) related to transboundary water cooperation and the Convention; reviewed progress in the Convention’s global opening and ongoing and planned future activities; examine the implementation of decisions taken by the Meeting of the Parties at its 9th session (Geneva (hybrid), 29 September–1 October 2021), and; began preparations for the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties (Ljubljana, 23–25 October 2024).

The different sessions reflected the diverse areas of work and wide range of partners of the Convention. The thematic session on public participation facilitated a rich exchange on the importance of public participation for effective and sustainable transboundary river basin management.  

Documents

Documents for the meetings, as well as presentations and statements made during the meeting are made available in the below table.

News release In times of water stress, countries highlight importance of transboundary cooperation and growing membership of Water Convention.

Photos available here.

Documents

41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/1 - Annotated provisional agenda for the eighteenth meeting _ 377433 _ English _ 773 _ 379819 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/1 - Annotated provisional agenda for the eighteenth meeting _ 377433 _ French _ 780 _ 379820 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/1 - Annotated provisional agenda for the eighteenth meeting _ 377433 _ Russian _ 864 _ 379821 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/1 - Annotated provisional agenda for the eighteenth meeting _ 377433 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 380504 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/3 - Report on the implementation of activities under the Water Convention in 2022 _ 377473 _ English _ 773 _ 380375 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/3 - Report on the implementation of activities under the Water Convention in 2022 _ 377473 _ French _ 780 _ 380376 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/3 - Report on the implementation of activities under the Water Convention in 2022 _ 377473 _ Russian _ 864 _ 380377 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/3 - Report on the implementation of activities under the Water Convention in 2022 _ 377473 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 382487 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/5 - Key outcomes of the Global workshop on source-to-sea management _ 377469 _ English _ 773 _ 378716 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/5 - Key outcomes of the Global workshop on source-to-sea management _ 377469 _ French _ 780 _ 378717 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/5 - Key outcomes of the Global workshop on source-to-sea management _ 377469 _ Russian _ 864 _ 378718 _ pdf
41702 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/5 - Key outcomes of the Global workshop on source-to-sea management _ 377469 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 380505 _ pdf

Item 2 - Adoption of the agenda

42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/1 - Annotated provisional agenda for the eighteenth meeting _ 377433 _ English _ 773 _ 379819 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/1 - Annotated provisional agenda for the eighteenth meeting _ 377433 _ French _ 780 _ 379820 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/1 - Annotated provisional agenda for the eighteenth meeting _ 377433 _ Russian _ 864 _ 379821 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/1 - Annotated provisional agenda for the eighteenth meeting _ 377433 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 380504 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.1 - Programme of work for 2022–2024 _ 367520 _ English _ 773 _ 380989 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.1 - Programme of work for 2022–2024 _ 367520 _ French _ 780 _ 380990 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.1 - Programme of work for 2022–2024 _ 367520 _ Russian _ 864 _ 380991 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.1 - Programme of work for 2022–2024 _ 367520 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 353772 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/3 - Report on the implementation of activities under the Water Convention in 2022 _ 377473 _ English _ 773 _ 380375 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/3 - Report on the implementation of activities under the Water Convention in 2022 _ 377473 _ French _ 780 _ 380376 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/3 - Report on the implementation of activities under the Water Convention in 2022 _ 377473 _ Russian _ 864 _ 380377 _ pdf
42878 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/3 - Report on the implementation of activities under the Water Convention in 2022 _ 377473 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 382487 _ pdf

Item 3 - Adoption of the report of the previous meeting

Item 4 - Status of ratification

42880 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/INF.1 - Ratification status of the Water Convention, its amendments and Protocols _ 378993 _ English _ 773 _ 382486 _ pdf

Item 6a - Increasing capacity for implementation of the Convention and supporting national processes towards accession

42881 _ ECE/MP.WAT/54/Add.2 - Strategy for the implementation of the Convention at the global level _ 352560 _ English _ 773 _ 319524 _ pdf
42881 _ ECE/MP.WAT/54/Add.2 - Strategy for the implementation of the Convention at the global level _ 352560 _ French _ 780 _ 319526 _ pdf
42881 _ ECE/MP.WAT/54/Add.2 - Strategy for the implementation of the Convention at the global level _ 352560 _ Russian _ 864 _ 319527 _ pdf
42881 _ ECE/MP.WAT/54/Add.2 - Strategy for the implementation of the Convention at the global level _ 352560 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 320182 _ pdf

Item 6b - Supporting the development of agreements and the establishment of joint bodies

Item 6c - Implementation Committee

42882 _ ECE/MP.WAT/IC/2022/4 - Report of the Implementation Committee on its fifteenth meeting _ 378212 _ English _ 773 _ 384529 _ pdf
42882 _ ECE/MP.WAT/IC/2022/4 - Report of the Implementation Committee on its fifteenth meeting _ 378212 _ French _ 780 _ 384530 _ pdf
42882 _ ECE/MP.WAT/IC/2022/4 - Report of the Implementation Committee on its fifteenth meeting _ 378212 _ Russian _ 864 _ 384531 _ pdf

Item 8a - Source-to-sea management

42885 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/5 - Key outcomes of the Global workshop on source-to-sea management _ 377469 _ English _ 773 _ 378716 _ pdf
42885 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/5 - Key outcomes of the Global workshop on source-to-sea management _ 377469 _ French _ 780 _ 378717 _ pdf
42885 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/5 - Key outcomes of the Global workshop on source-to-sea management _ 377469 _ Russian _ 864 _ 378718 _ pdf
42885 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/5 - Key outcomes of the Global workshop on source-to-sea management _ 377469 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 380505 _ pdf

Item 8c - Supporting intersectoral dialogues and assessments through the application of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus approach

42886 _ TFWFEEN/2022/2 - Report of the seventh meeting of the Task Force on the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus _ 376824 _ English _ 773 _ 376647 _ pdf
42886 _ Nexus Methodology Leaflet _ 374043 _ English _ 773 _ 370199 _ pdf
42886 _ Nexus Methodology Leaflet _ 374043 _ French _ 780 _ 370200 _ pdf
42886 _ Nexus Methodology Leaflet _ 374043 _ Russian _ 864 _ 370201 _ pdf
42886 _ Nexus Methodology Leaflet _ 374043 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 370202 _ pdf

Item 10 - Facilitating funding and financing of transboundary water cooperation and basin development

42888 _ ECE/MP.WAT/61 - Funding and Financing of Transboundary Water Cooperation and Basin Development _ 359986 _ English _ 773 _ 335941 _ pdf
42888 _ ECE/MP.WAT/61 - Funding and Financing of Transboundary Water Cooperation and Basin Development _ 359986 _ French _ 780 _ 336179 _ pdf
42888 _ ECE/MP.WAT/61 - Funding and Financing of Transboundary Water Cooperation and Basin Development _ 359986 _ Russian _ 864 _ 393030 _ pdf
42888 _ ECE/MP.WAT/61 - Funding and Financing of Transboundary Water Cooperation and Basin Development _ 359986 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 399652 _ pdf

Item 11 - Reporting on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 6.5.2 and under the Convention

42889 _ ECE/MP.WAT/54/Add.2 - Decision VIII/I on reporting under the Convention _ 352566 _ English _ 773 _ 319544 _ pdf
42889 _ ECE/MP.WAT/54/Add.2 - Decision VIII/I on reporting under the Convention _ 352566 _ French _ 780 _ 319545 _ pdf
42889 _ ECE/MP.WAT/54/Add.2 - Decision VIII/I on reporting under the Convention _ 352566 _ Russian _ 864 _ 319546 _ pdf
42889 _ ECE/MP.WAT/54/Add.2 - Decision VIII/I on reporting under the Convention _ 352566 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 320184 _ pdf
42889 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.2 - Decision IX/2 on reporting _ 368409 _ English _ 773 _ 356131 _ pdf
42889 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.2 - Decision IX/2 on reporting _ 368409 _ French _ 780 _ 356132 _ pdf
42889 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.2 - Decision IX/2 on reporting _ 368409 _ Russian _ 864 _ 356133 _ pdf

Item 12a - Cooperation with UN-Water, global and regional partners and other multilateral environmental agreements

Item 13 - Thematic session on public participation in river basin management in transboundary basins

42891 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/INF.2 - Programme Public Participation Session WG IWRM _ 379976 _ English _ 773 _ 384813 _ pdf

Item 15 - International Water Assessment Centre

42892 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.2 - Programme of work of the International Water Assessment Centre for 2022–2024 _ 378994 _ English _ 773 _ 382491 _ pdf
42892 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.2 - Programme of work of the International Water Assessment Centre for 2022–2024 _ 378994 _ French _ 780 _ 382492 _ pdf
42892 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.2 - Programme of work of the International Water Assessment Centre for 2022–2024 _ 378994 _ Russian _ 864 _ 382493 _ pdf

Item 16 - Resources for the implementation of the programme of work

42893 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/4 - Report on contributions and expenditures from January until December 2022 _ 379652 _ English _ 773 _ 387979 _ pdf

Item 17 - Ongoing programme of work for 2022–2024 and future programme of work for 2025–2027

42894 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.1 - Programme of work for 2022–2024 _ 367520 _ English _ 773 _ 380989 _ pdf
42894 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.1 - Programme of work for 2022–2024 _ 367520 _ French _ 780 _ 380990 _ pdf
42894 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.1 - Programme of work for 2022–2024 _ 367520 _ Russian _ 864 _ 380991 _ pdf
42894 _ ECE/MP.WAT/63/Add.1 - Programme of work for 2022–2024 _ 367520 _ Spanish _ 879 _ 353772 _ pdf

Item 19 - Call for hosting of the eleventh session of the Meeting of the Parties

Outcomes

46389 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/2 - Report of the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management on its eighteenth meeting _ 387299 _ English _ 773 _ 406202 _ pdf
46389 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/2 - Report of the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management on its eighteenth meeting _ 387299 _ French _ 780 _ 406204 _ pdf
46389 _ ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2023/2 - Report of the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management on its eighteenth meeting _ 387299 _ Russian _ 864 _ 406205 _ pdf
46389 _ Unedited list of decisions _ 380780 _ English _ 773 _ 386684 _ pdf
46389 _ List of participants _ 381813 _ English _ 773 _ 389460 _ pdf

Presentations and Statements

Title ENG FRE RUS ARA SPA
Item 2 - Adoption of the agenda  
Statement by Ukraine PDF        
Statement by the Russian Federation PDF   PDF    
Item 4 - Status of ratification  
Statement by Mr. Gérance Zambo, Ministry of External Relations, Cameroon   PDF      
Satement by Mr. Ali Al-Mohamadawy, Ministry of Water Resources, Iraq       PDF  
Statement by Ms. Maria Amakali, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Namibia PDF        
Statement by Ms. Elizabeth Ugoh, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Nigeria PDF        
Intervention by Ms. Carol Chouchani Cherfane, UNESCWA PDF        
Item 5 - Recent developments related to transboundary water cooperation at the global level and under the Convention  
Outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference, Ms. Fleur Verhoef, the Netherlands PDF        
UN 2023 Water Conference, Mr. Federico Properzi, UN Water PDF        
Recent developments related to transboundary water cooperation at the global level and under the Convention, Ms. Sonja Koeppel, UNECE PDF        
Item 6 - Increasing awareness of and accession to the Convention and application of its principles drawing on the benefits of cooperation
Increasing capacity for implementation of the Convention and supporting national processes towards accession, Ms. Fanny-Tsilla Koninckx, France and Ms. Bernadette Adjei, Ghana PDF        
Report from the countries in the process of accession:          
Mr. David Molefha, Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs, Botswana PDF        
Mr. Blâmi Diallo, General Directorate for Water Resources, Burkina Faso   PDF      
Mr. Bassalia Toure, Ministry of Water and Forestry, Côte d'Ivoire   PDF      
Ms. Gabriela Santoni Bisono, Permanent Mission, Dominican Republic         PDF
Ms Baturu Camara, Permanent Mission, The Gambia PDF        
Mr. Chaibou Tankari, Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation, Niger   PDF      
Ms. Karima Lince, Ministry of Environment, Panama         PDF
Mr. Mohamed Sahr Juanah, National Water Resources Management Agency, Sierra Leone PDF        
Mr. Francis Wani, Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, South Sudan PDF        
Ms. Florence Grace Adongo, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda PDF        
Mr. Melvin Sikazwe, Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, Zambia PDF        
Support to Accession and the Implementation of the Convention at the National Level, Mr. Gninpale Konlani, Ministry of Water and Hydraulics, Togo PDF        
Twinning Initiative with Namibia, Finland PDF        
Item 6b - Supporting the development of agreements and the establishment of joint bodies
Supporting the development of agreements and the establishment of joint bodies, Mr. Peter Kovacs, Hungary PDF        
Progress in the Senegalo Mauritanian Aquifer Basin (SMAB), Mr. Landing Bojang,The Gambia PDF        
The current development of an agreement for the Luapula River shared with Congo DR and support from secretariat, including use of the Practical Guide, Mr. Stanley Hantambo, Zambia PDF        
Item 6c - Implementation Committee
Activities of the Implementation Committee, including the advisory procedure, Mr. Ivan Zavadsky, member of the Implementation Committee PDF        
Statements by:          
Mr. Enis Gjokaj, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Montenegro PDF        
Ms. Gerta Lubonja, Water Resource Management Agency, Albania PDF        
Item 7 - Supporting monitoring, assessment and information-sharing in transboundary basins
Supporting monitoring, assessment and information sharing in transboundary basins, Mr. Niokhor Ndour, Senegal PDF        
Regional Workshop on Monitoring, Assessment and Information Sharing in Transboundary Basins in Central Asia, Zhanar Mautanova, IWAC PDF        
Statements by:          
Mr. Christian Schilling, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management, Austria PDF        
Mr. Dominique Berod, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) PDF        
Item 8 - Promoting an integrated and intersectoral approach to water management at all levels
Item 8a – Source-to-sea management          
Source-to-Sea management as promoting Integrated Water Resources Management in Transboundary Basins, Mr. Harr Liiv, Estonia PDF        
Intervention by Ms. Ida Holmgren, Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, Sweden PDF        
Item 8c - Supporting intersectoral dialogues and assessments through the application of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus approach
Supporting intersectoral dialogues and assessments through the application of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus approach, Mr. Antti Rautavaara from Finland PDF        
Regional mechanisms for the low carbon, climate resilient transformation of the energy-water-land Nexus in Central Asia, Mr. Matthew Griffith from OECD PDF        
Perspective of ICWC on the Project “Regional mechanisms for the low-carbon, climate-resilient transformation of the energy-water-land Nexus in Central Asia”, Mr. Umar NAZAROV from the Secretariat of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC)     PDF    
Almaty Energy Forum and SPECA WEE WG, Ms. Nadejda Khamrakulova,  Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE PDF        
Nexus and water financing in the Mediterranean region, Ms. Doha Zamel from the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat PDF        
Item 8d - Supporting equitable and sustainable water allocation in a transboundary context
Supporting equitable and sustainable water allocation in a transboundary context, Mr. Antti Rautavaara, Finland PDF        
Interventions by:          
Ms. Maria Amakali, Namibia PDF        
Mr. David Molefha, Botswana PDF        
Mr. John Dore, Australia PDF        
Item 8e - Supporting National Policy Dialogues on Integrated Water Resources Management under the European Union Water Initiative
National Policy Dialogues on Integrated Water Resources Management, Mr. Tamara Kutonova and Mr. Alexander Belokurov, UNECE PDF        
Beneficiary countries informing about significant progress made under the NPD in their countries:
Mr. Ilyas Akhmetov, Permanent Mission, Kazakhstan     PDF    
Mr. Asif Verdiyev, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Azerbaijan     PDF    
Ms. Anna Casuta, Ministry of Environment, Republic of Moldova PDF        
Ms. Lilit Abrhamyan, Ministry of Environment, Armenia     PDF    
Mr. Makhtumkuli Akmuradov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkmenistan     PDF    
Item 9 - Adapting to climate change in transboundary basins
Adapting to climate change in transboundary basins, Ms. Sibylle Vermont, Switzerland and Mr. Niels Vlaanderen, Netherlands PDF        
Progress in Lake Victoria basin, Ms.  Florence Grace Adongo, Uganda PDF        
Progress in the Drin basin, Ms. Ljupka  Zajkov, North Macedonia PDF        
Item 10 - Facilitating funding and financing of transboundary water cooperation and basin development
Facilitating the financing and funding of transboundary water cooperation and basin development, Ms. Dimka Stantchev, SDC, Switzerland and Mr. Niels Vlaanderen, Netherlands PDF        
GEF Support to Cooperation in International Waters, Ms. Astrid Hillers, GEF PDF        
Statements by:          
Mr. Rukan MANAZ, United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) PDF        
Mr. Edoardo Borgomeo, World Bank PDF        
Item 11 - Reporting on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 6.5.2 and under the Convention
Third reporting exercise, Ms. Sarah Tiefenauer_Linardon, UNECE and Ms. Tatiana Dmitrieva and Mr. Aurelien Dumont, UNESCO PDF        
Reporting on Sustainable Development Goal indicator 6.5.2, Ms. Macarena Bahamondes Ortizjefa, National Directorate of Borders and Limits, Chile PDF        
Statement by Mr. Gninpale Konlani, Ministry of Water and Hydraulics, Togo   PDF      
Item 12 - Partnerships          
Item 12a - Cooperation with UN-Water, global and regional partners and other mulilateral environmental agreements
Outcomes of the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ms. Heide Jekel, Germany PDF        
Opportunities for mainstreaming water and transboundary aspects into global climate processes, Mr. Stefan Dierks, UNFCCC PDF        
The knowledge management platform for the GEF IW portfolio, Ms. Claudette Spiteri, Unesco, GEF IW Learn PDF        
Intervention by Ambassador Mokhtar Omar, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) PDF        
Outcomes of the 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health (Geneva, 16-18 November 2022), Mr. Peter Kovacs, Hungary PDF        
Item 12b - Contribution to global event
10th Wold Water Forum 2024, Mr. Arie Moerwant, Indonesia PDF        
Item 12c - Thematic session on public participation in river basin management in transboundary basins
Outcomes of the recent activities and future plans for the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents, Mr. Peter Kovacs, Hungary PDF        
Item 13 - Thematic session on public participation in river basin management in transboundary basins
Public participation under the Aarhus Convention in the Context of Transboundary Water Management, Ms. Anastasia Giadrossi, UNECE PDF        
EcoPeace Middle East Public Participation in Transboundary Water Cooperation, Mr. Gidon Bromberg, EcoPeace PDF        
Empowering Women to be Actors of Change in Transboundary Basins, Ms. Priscilla Achakpa, Nigeria PDF        
Sixaola River basin, Ms. Karima Lince, Panama         PDF
Strengthening Connections: Communication and Outreach for the Danube River Basin, Hélène Masliah-Gilkarov, ICPDR PDF        
Senegal River Basin, Mr. Jean Bosco Bazie, Eau Vive Internationale   PDF      
Item 14 - Communication and knowledge management
Communication and knowledge management by Ms. Elise Zerrath, UNECE PDF        
Item 15 - International Water Assessment Centre          
Activities of the International Water Assessment Center, Ms. Zhanar Mautanova, IWAC PDF        
Item 16 - Resources for the implementation of the programme of work
Funding of the Water Convention (Secretariat and Activities), Ms. Chantal Demilecamps, UNECE PDF        
Item 17- Ongoing programme of work for 2022–2024 and future programme of work for 2025–2027
Ongoing programme of work for 2022–2024 and future programme of work for 2025–2027, Ms. Sonja Koeppel and Ms. Chantal Demilecamps, UNECE PDF        
Item 18 – Preparation for the tenth session of the Meeting of the Parties by the host country
10th meeting of the Parties, Mr. Ales Bizjak, Slovenia PDF        
Item 19 – Call for hosting of the eleventh session of the Meeting of the Parties
Call for hosting of the eleventh session of the Meeting of the Parties, Ms. Iulia Trombitcaia, UNECE PDF