OECD – UNECE INTERIM REPORT 2010
The European Union’s Water Initiative (EUWI) is a political initiative which seeks to assist partner countries in achieving water-related Millennium Development. The EUWI EECCA is the regional component of the EUWI focused on Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA). It supports work of the European Neighbourhood Policy and of the EU-Central Asia Platform for Environment and Water Cooperation. In addition, it helps to promote the progressive approximation to EU water policies, particularly to the EU Water Framework Directive, in EECCA countries.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is the strategic partner to support the policy dialogue process on integrated water resources management (IWRM). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is the strategic partner for water supply and sanitation (WSS).
National Policy Dialogues (NPDs) on IWRM and WSS is the main operational instrument under the EUWI EECCA. The NPDs are policy-oriented processes where key stakeholders meet and assess the feasibility of water-related policy objectives (including the Millennium Development Goals on water supply, sanitation, and resource management), the best strategies to achieve them, and the financial means attached to these strategies. The dialogues are conducted under the leadership of a high-level government representative such as the Deputy Minister of Water Resources or Chair of the State Water Committee. The NPDs are also based on the robust analytical input by experts.
In 2009 – 2010, the OECD and UNECE have implemented the NPDs on water supply and sanitation or on water resource management in Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. The National Policy Dialogues on water resource management were initiated in 2010 Azerbaijan, Georgia and Tajikistan. Inception missions were organized to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In 2010, the Government of Kazakhstan submitted a request to the UNECE and the European Commission to start a National Policy Dialogue on water resource management.