No. 3 (87) February 2005

RESOLUTION OF THE REGIONAL STAKEHOLDER CONFERENCE OF THE GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP OF CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA (GWP CACENA)

17-18 January 2005, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

The Regional Stakeholder Conference of the Global Water Partnership of Caucasus and Central Asia (GWP CACENA), in which representatives from water and environmental agencies, scientific and design organizations, key NGOs from the eight countries in the region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), as well as representatives from regional and international organizations and the GWP Secretariat took part, considered the activity results of the GWP CACENA regional network in 2004 and work program for the forthcoming period.

Three years have passed since the CACENA states joined GWP family, and the year 2004 was a year of completing the appointed stage in GWP activities, which was aimed to formulate a concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) and wider spreading of knowledge about ways to implement this concept through the GWP partner network. The participants of the conference noted that as a result of GWP operation in our region, a significant progress was made by the end of 2004. At that, it was noted that the countries contributed more labor resources and means to the carried out measures than it was supported by funding from GWP CACENA budget. Among the achieved results, it is necessary to emphasize especially the following ones:

• Full understanding of a IWRM concept has been achieved among the GWP network members from all the eight countries in the region, and this understanding is propagated among civil society through an organized campaign for public awareness in the countries under the umbrella of RTCC members.
• RTCC of GWP CACENA has been recognized inside and outside the region as a key guide to the started water sector reform process in direction to practical use of IWRM principles.
• In the most of the countries in the region (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan), the IWRM concept has already been officially recognized as a basis for national policy in the field of water sector improvement. Other countries in the region express formal political endorsement of the IWRM concept.
• The GWP CACENA conducts a large propaganda activity to spread knowledge about IWRM principles: key GWP publications revealing the essence of the IWRM concept were translated into Russian and some national languages, IWRM ToolBox was translated too, and its substance is spread among all the stakeholders in the region. The RTTC prepared and published in 2004 a report on status of IWRM process in the countries of the region: this document serves as a base for attracting the attention of decision makers in the countries, as well as of international financial donors.
• It is necessary to emphasize that all the GWP activities in Caucasus and Central Asia are open and accessible to all the stakeholders. Information on the activities is available on the website.
• The countries of the region take certain steps to form national water partnerships – for more purposeful support of water sector reforms in the countries. The first officially registered national water partnership was organized in 2004 in Kazakhstan. Other countries are on the way to it.

The participants of the conference note that the year 2005 is a certain border on the way to implementing IWRM principles in water sector of CACENA states. This is the period when it is necessary to transit from discussing the concept and formulating approaches to implement it to more active practical actions. It is necessary to more actively involve not only water professionals, but also representatives of other connected professions and agencies, as well as concerned representatives of civil society in the activities. Hence, GWP CACENA work program for 2005 was duly developed, which includes five directions of activities in accordance with the outputs approved by the GWP Secretariat (Stockholm):

1. Contribution to developing water policy and development strategy at respective levels of water resources management.
2. Contribution to developing IWRM programs and tools in accordance with regional and national requirements.
3. Relationship between GWP and other networks, sectors and programs.
4. Development and strengthening of water partnership at different levels.
5. Effective management of GWP network in the region.

During the discussion of all the work plan positions, the participants of the conference, on basis of the consensus, agreed to confirm the submitted program with insignificant amendments on details of work contents and terms. It was decided to commission RTCC members and GWP CACENA Secretariat (V. Sokolov, I. Babayev) to prepare, on the basis of the adopted program, specific ToRs and contracts by each position for carrying out operations taking the stipulated terms into account. Work implementation progress should be regularly presented at the RTCC meetings, and final report should be presented at the annual conference of all the GWP CACENA stakeholders in December 2005 in Tashkent.

The conference highly appreciates the role of contribution of the Norwegian and Finnish governments to the implementation of IWRM principles in the countries of the region, and also expresses gratitude to the GWP Secretariat for productive organizational and financial support to the activities of the regional network of the Partnership.

The participants of the conference thank the Water Administration at the President of the Kyrgyz Republic and conference organizers for hospitality and ensuring high level of the conference.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REGIONAL COOPERATION IN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVER BASINS

An International Conference on Regional Cooperation in Transboundary River Basins will take place in Dushanbe from 30 May to 2 Junу 2005.

This decision was made according to the Resolution of the UN General Assembly on declaring the years 2005-2015 “International Decade of Actions on Water for Life” on the initiative of Tajikistan, as well as to the recommendations of the 2003 Dushanbe International Forum on Fresh Water.

The main objectives of the Conference are:

• strengthening of regional cooperation in transboundary river basin management, establishment of dialog among Central Asian States on transboundary river basin management;
• organization of a discussion between the conference participants from different transboundary river basins;
• definition of the main events expected to be conducted during the Decade of actions "Water for Life" with the aim of safety and rational use of transboundary rivers and sustainable development of different transboundary river basin countries;
• working out of recommendations to resolve the current issues;

Outcome

It is planned that International Conference on Regional Cooperation in Transboundary River Basins will be used to raise awareness, promote good practice and motivate policy makers to improve regional cooperation to resolve the current issues in the field. The Conference will promote practical solutions for water resources management. Outcomes of the Dushanbe Fresh Water Forum and the World Summit on sustainable Development will be used as a basis for discussions in the Conference.

Worked out Recommendations will be guideline for International decade of actions "Water for life".

Who should attend

The Conference is open for international, regional, governmental, private and nongovernmental organizations, research institutes, politicians, scientists, postgraduates and students, specialists whose activities related on water-economic, ecological and socio-economic aspects of transboundary water management.

Further information on the conference is available at: www.transwaterconference2005.org.

WEB SITE OF THE PROJECT TWINBASINXN

To support the project «TWINBASINXN: Promoting Twinning of River Basins for Developing Integrated Water Resources Management Practices”, the Scientific-Information Center of ICWC has launched a website: www.cawater-info.net/twinbasinxn/