Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO; Michel Jarraud,
UN-Water Chair and Secretary-General of the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO); and Hamrokhon Zarifi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Tajikistan today launched the International Year of
Water Cooperation 2013 at UNESCO Headquarters, in Paris. The Year was
proclaimed by the United Nations at the initiative of Tajikistan and
UNESCO has been designated by UN-Water to coordinate activities during
the year.
The launching ceremony featured a video message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and messages from the Presidents of Kenya and Mongolia.
The participants stressed the central role
of water in ensuring sustainable development, public health, poverty
alleviation and combating the effects of climate change.
“Water is not just one subject among
others, it is the central subject of international cooperation,” said
the Director-General of UNESCO […] In 2010, the UN General Assembly
recognized water as a human right and this must now be translated into
reality. In a world where 300 water basins are shared between several
countries, this can only be achieved through cooperation,” Ms Bokova
said.
“More than 780 million people still do
not have access to improved water and two and a half billion people have
no access to improved sanitation services,” stressed the Chair of UN
Water as he advocated reinforced cooperation in this area. He pointed
out that that 40% of all natural disasters concern water, whether
drought or flood, and voiced strong support for “UNESCO’s effort in
favour of water diplomacy as an essential instrument of dialogue and
cooperation to create a more peaceful world.”
Hamrokhon Zarifi, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan for his part declared that “we
need to strengthen water diplomacy to achieve the 2015 [deadline] of the
Millennium Goals. Only close cooperation can secure the achievement of
water goals for people, the environment and the economy. […] We must
make this year, a year of strengthened mutual understanding, cooperation
and dialogue.”
France’s Minister Delegate for
Development, Pascal Canfin, stressed the importance his government gives
to environmental sustainability through water cooperation. He pledged
France’s commitment to help especially Saharan Africa overcome growing
water shortage. “The Millennium Development Goals regarding water have
almost been reached, but the objectives that they set out are
insufficient as they do not address the issue of [water] quality.”
Launching events continued during the
day, notably with the participation of young people from France, Japan
and the Netherlands at a youth event hosted by the municipality of Paris
at the Pavillion de l’Eau.
During the launch ceremony, Mega Kumar
of India presented her slogan for the International Year of Water
Cooperation: Water, water everywhere, only if we share.” Ms Kumar’s
slogan was chosen from over 12,000 slogans submitted as part of a
world-wide competition.
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