In December 2016, by the initiative of the Republic of Tajikistan, the
UN General Assembly decided to declare 2018-2028 the International
Decade of Action “Water for Sustainable Development”. The purpose of
this resolution is to support sustainable development and integrated
water resources management. It also aims to promote cooperation and
partnership to achieve internationally agreed goals and targets,
including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In its resolution 73/226 of 20 December 2018, the United Nations
General Assembly decided to convene the United Nations Conference on
the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the goals of
the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable
Development” 2018-2028 in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023
(hereinafter the UN 2023 Water Conference).
The conditions for holding the UN 2023 Water Conference were defined
in resolution 75/212 of 21 December 2020, of the UN General Assembly,
according to which the Conference is organized under the
co-chairmanship of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kingdom of the
Netherlands. The Secretariat of the Conference is the UN Department of
Economic and Social Affairs and UN-Water. The Conference will consist
of six plenary sessions and five interactive dialogues. It will be
preceded by regional and global preparatory meetings, as well as other
events related to water resources.
The Conference is expected to involve all relevant stakeholders,
bringing together Governments, the United Nations system,
intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions,
civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, academic
institutions, the scientific community, the private sector, charitable
organizations and other actors to support further actions to achieve
the goals of the Decade and related to water resources goals and
objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The UN 2023 Water Conference is the second in the history of the UN
and the first UN Water Conference in almost 50 years (the first UN
Water Conference was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina in 1977), and it
takes place at a time when there is an urgent need in the world for
actions on water resources. The world is facing unprecedented
challenges, including threats to peace and security and the
multilateral system, the devastating effects of climate change, the
looming food crisis and the ongoing fight against the COVID-19
pandemic.
The Netherlands and Tajikistan, as co-organizers, and UNDESA and
UN-Water as the Conference Secretariat, strive to make the Conference
a turning point for the whole world by combining an inclusive,
cross-sectoral and action-oriented approach.
Both the preparatory process and the Conference itself will aim to
draw attention to the commitments that have an impact and set a clear
agenda for the second half of the Decade and beyond to 2030, while
promoting a longer-term approach and prospects beyond 2030. To expand
commitments, including specific actions and agreements, efforts will
be made to promote successful and scalable solutions.
The Conference provides the world with the conditions and opportunity
to better understand, appreciate and manage water resources and take
concerted actions to achieve internationally agreed goals and
objectives related to water resources.
Given the historical significance of the Conference, the Executive
Committee of IFAS plans to take an active part in its work. To this
end, on 20 September 2022, the Executive Committee of IFAS held a
Central Asian preparatory seminar towards the UN 2023 Water Conference
in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. And within the framework of the Conference
itself, it is planned to hold a special session on Central Asia.
The main purpose of this event is to demonstrate the cooperation and
cohesion of the Central Asian countries in making commitments for new
actions to solve water problems.
