Tajikistan to host global water conference in June

One of the most pressing global issues that no government can ignore is water. The management of trans-boundary waterways, water scarcity, energy, related natural disasters, access to potable water and the sanitation and the health implications of contaminated supplies, are all issues that require coordinated international solutions. Over recent years the phenomena of climate change has further exacerbated the situation for many countries, as changing weather patterns continue to cause droughts and floods. 

To encourage a sustainable, global approach to the problem, by the initiative of Tajikistan, the International Decade for Action, “Water for Life” 2005-2015 was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in December, 2003. It officially commenced on the first ever World Water Day on the 22nd of March, 2005. The decade long initiative will draw to a close on March 22nd of this year. Immediately following this day, sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda, including water issues will be discussed in New York by the UN.  

Not surprisingly, the Government of Tajikistan has placed water issues at the forefront of their foreign policy since independence. As a mountainous country and the source of approximately 60% of Central Asia’s water supplies, the future of Tajikistan is intrinsically bound in solving global water crisis. Through regional and international forums, including the United Nations and the framework of the

Water for Life initiative, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan has lobbied for a global approach to water.  
 

Credit: Press Service of the Office of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan
 

To review the decade of action, boost dialogue, and discuss global approaches to the world’s water issues, the Government of Tajikistan in cooperation with the United Nations institutions is hosting an international conference in June, in its capital, Dushanbe. This event, the High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015 is scheduled to take place in Dushanbe from the 9th – 11th of June, 2015. A number of parallel events are also planned in the lead up to the event, touching on issues including geography, gender and youth. 

Approximately 1,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference, including representatives from UN member states, international organizations, non-government organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and women and children organizations. To demonstrate the importance of the event, the Prime Minister of Tajikistan himself, H.E. Qokhir Rasulzoda, is chairing the event’s organizing committee, which is composed of senior government figures from across the cabinet.   

Event Details: The High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015 will take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan from the 9th-11th of June, 2015. For more information or to register for the event, visit: www.waterforlifeconf2015.org or contact info@waterforlifeconf2015.org .

Written by Marko Rankovic, Project Director, United World, with the kind support of the Staff of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan