Sixth Meeting of UNECE Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management

The Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) aims to prevent, control and reduce transboundary impacts of water pollution; promote the ecosystem approach in the framework of integrated water resources management; ensure conservation and restoration of water-related ecosystems; promote payments for ecosystem services; and further adaptation to climate change in the transboundary context, including floods and droughts management. The main objective of the sixth meeting is to review the implementation of the workplan (ECE/MP.WAT/29/Add. 1).  

For documents of previous meetings please click here

The Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management and the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment are the two main subsidiary bodies established by the Meeting of the Parties.

The focus of the work of the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management is on intersectoral activities to support the implementation of the Convention with regard to the integrated management of transboundary water resources. Activities under this Working Group aim to prevent, control and reduce transboundary impacts and thereby prevent damage to the environment; promote the ecosystem approach in the framework of integrated water resources management; and ensure conservation and, where necessary, restoration of water-related ecosystems. Further goals are to promote the concept of payments for ecosystem services; to prevent accidental water pollution; and to further adaptation to climate change in the transboundary context, including floods and droughts management. The Working Group also seeks to build and/or to strengthen the institutions responsible for the management of transboundary waters; to facilitate the work of joint bodies; and to promote access to information and public participation in decision-making.

The need to consider monitoring and assessment in the broader context of integrated water resources management calls for close collaboration between the two Working Groups through cooperation on a number of joint activities.

Unless otherwise decided by the Meeting of the Parties, the Bureau or the Working Groups themselves, the Working Groups hold one ordinary meeting per year. Annual meetings of the Working Groups constitute an efficient mechanism for governing, coordination and fostering implementation of the Convention. These meetings provide a forum for sharing knowledge and successful experiences among Parties, non-Parties and stakeholders, with a view to supporting and carrying out, inter alia, bilateral and multilateral activities, pilot projects and capacity-building activities.

Sixth meeting

4-5 May 2011, Geneva, Palais des Nations, room IX

The sixth meeting of the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management will take place on 4-5 May 2011 in Geneva, starting at 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 4 May 2011, and closing at 5.30 p.m. on Thursday 5 May 2011. The meeting will be held back-to-back with the twelfth meeting of the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment, which will take place on 2-4 May 2011 in Geneva. A joint session of the two working groups will be held on Wednesday, 4 May 2011 from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

The main objective of the sixth meeting of the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management is to review the implementation of the workplan (ECE/MP.WAT/29/Add. 1) as adopted at the fifth session of the Meeting of the Parties.

The working languages of the Working Group will be English, French and Russian.

Participants are requested to complete the registration form and to transmit it by e-mail to the secretariat (cammile.marcelo@unece.org) as soon as possible, but not later than 18 April 2011. If you need a personal invitation letter for visa purpose, please contact the secretariat as soon as possible and also indicate it clearly in the registration form.

Eligible participants from countries with economies in transition may apply for financial support to facilitate their participation in the meeting. Requests for financial support should be submitted together with the registration form to UNECE by e-mail (cammile.marcelo@unece.org) as soon as possible, but not later than 21 March 2011.

Further documents will be made available on this website as soon as possible.