On 5 March 2023 in Doha City, at SDG Media Zone of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5)
On 5 March 2023 in Doha City, at SDG Media Zone of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) H.E. Mr. Csaba Kőrösi -United Nations General Assembly President, H.E. Mr. Khisrav Sohibzoda – Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to the State of Qatar and H.E. Ms. Marjan Kamstra- Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the State of Qatar hold a joint briefing on the UN 2023 Water Conference
The UN 2023 Water Conference will take place in New York from 22 to 24 March, co-hosted by the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Conference will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pick up progress and ensure universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030.
One of the main outcomes of the Conference will be the Water Action Agenda that will capture all water-related voluntary commitments and monitor their progress. The Agenda aims to encourage Member States, stakeholders, and the private sector to commit to urgent actions to address today’s water challenges.
Tajikistan advocates global water agenda by promoting various initiatives on effective water resources management in the UN General Assembly, including the proclamation of 2003 as the International Year of Fresh Water, 2005-2015 as the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation, 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action “Water for sustainable development”.
Currently witnessing the interlinkage between hydrological cycles and climate change and realizing the necessity to take urgent actions Tajikistan proposed to declare 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers Preservation and to establish the Trust Fund for Glaciers preservation to conduct research and implement projects on ways to save the source of fresh water. This proposal was supported unanimously by all UN member states that demonstrates the close relations of climate change and water shortage or natural disasters around the globe. We are convinced that this initiative will considerably contribute to achieving water-related goals within the Water Action Decade.
The core idea of the UN Water Conference is to develop the common approach based on the three principles: inclusiveness, cross-sectorial and action-oriented process. Thus, Water Action Decade is a unique and solid framework to support the efforts of the international community to overcome water-related issues to be on track to achieve 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
We believe that this Conference, which will be held by the United Nations almost 50 years after the first UN Water Conference in Argentina, should become a historic event not only in terms of time, but also in terms of its effective results.
Our vision for the Conference is that we all fundamentally understand, value, and manage water better and take concerted action to achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We are looking forward to cooperating with all UN member states, UN entities and other stakeholders in presenting concreate plans, agreements and actions through voluntary commitments and partnerships to accelerate and scale water actions across the 2030 Agenda and support, track and deliver on the 2030 Agenda and beyond 2030 for development of all of us.
Let’s create a watershed moment together.
