UN / WATER FOR COOPERATION
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STORY: UN / WATER FOR COOPERATION
TRT: 02:12
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 - 23 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
SHOTLIST:
22 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY
1. Various shots, United Nations Headquarters, exterior
23 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, conference room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“Progress on transboundary water cooperation in accordance with SDG target 6.5 is badly off track.”
4. Med shot, participants
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“Only 24 countries worldwide have all their transboundary basin area covered by operational arrangements. Lack of cooperation on shared waters hinders the achievement of other SDGs and creates risks of conflicts over dwindling water resources.”
6. Med shot, participants
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“We do have tools to accelerate transboundary water cooperation. Governments should fully leverage the existing legal instruments, in particular, the two global UN water Conventions.”
8. Med shot, participants
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“Climate change severely affects transboundary basins. Unilateral adaptation measures can lead to maladaptation, transfer of risks, and tensions. On the contrary, transboundary cooperation makes adaptation more effective through sharing of data, costs, and benefits.”
10. Med shot, participants
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“Increasing competition over scarce water resources can lead to growing risks of conflicts. But water is also a leverage for peace.”
12. Med shot, participants
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“The 2023 Water Conference focuses on transformative solutions. The Water Convention is precisely a solution offering multiple benefits for sustainable development and climate action. And this is why I call upon all United Nations Member States to accede to it and to take advantage of its tools and framework.”
RECENT - NEW YORK CITY
14. Close up, UN flag
STORYLINE:
Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), said that progress on transboundary water cooperation “is badly off track.”
Speaking today (23 Mar) in New York at the 2023 Water Conference’s Interactive Dialogue “Water for cooperation,” Algayerova said, “Only 24 countries worldwide have all their transboundary basin area covered by operational arrangements. Lack of cooperation on shared waters hinders the achievement of other SDGs and creates risks of conflicts over dwindling water resources.”
She continued, “We do have tools to accelerate transboundary water cooperation. Governments should fully leverage the existing legal instruments, in particular, the two global UN water Conventions” – the 1997 Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses and the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, also known as the Water Convention, serviced by UNECE.
Since 2016, the Water Convention has been open for accession to all United Nations Member States.
Yesterday (22 Mar), Nigeria acceded to the Water Convention, following Chad, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, and Cameroon, which became Parties in the past few years.
More than 20 countries are on their way to joining the Convention.
One hundred thirty countries worldwide take part in activities of its institutional platform.
According to the Head of UNECE, over half of all basins worldwide still lack cooperation agreements.
The Convention provides a sound and flexible legal framework to support the development of agreements in different settings.
Since its adoption, more than 100 agreements on shared waters have been signed.
They have increased water security and economic development, promoted regional integration, and supported flood protection, early warning, and data exchange.
The Convention directly supports cooperation on the ground, such as in the Drin Basin or Senegalo Mauritanian Aquifer Basin.
Algayerova also said that lacking capacity is a major barrier to advancing cooperation.
The Water Convention offers an intergovernmental framework that provides policy responses to emerging challenges, such as the integration between water, energy, food, and environmental needs and water allocation in transboundary settings.
The Convention’s framework also promotes the exchange of experiences and builds the capacity of practitioners and basin organizations.
She also said that climate change severely affects transboundary basins.
Algayerova added, “Unilateral adaptation measures can lead to maladaptation, transfer of risks, and tensions. On the contrary, transboundary cooperation makes adaptation more effective through sharing of data, costs, and benefits.”
Over 15 years ago, the Water Convention was the first forum to support countries and transboundary basins in jointly adapting to climate change through guidance development, pilot projects, and the Global network of basins working on climate change.
Those activities have supported developing and implementing many transboundary adaptation strategies and plans, such as in the Chu-Talas, the Danube, the Dniester, the Neman, the Rhine, and the Mekong, and the Niger basins, making 300 million people worldwide more resilient to climate change.
The lack of sustainable funding models from national and international sources often prevents countries from starting or deepening their cooperation.
It also hampers the maximization of regional benefits from investments in transboundary basins. Therefore, the Convention has brought together international financial institutions, development banks, governments, and basin organizations to identify existing and innovative ways to finance transboundary cooperation and basin development.
It also raises the capacity of transboundary basins to mobilize financial resources.
Finally, UNECE’s Executive Secretary said, “increasing competition over scarce water resources can lead to growing risks of conflicts. But water is also a leverage for peace.”
To enhance the conflict prevention function of the Convention, its Parties established a dedicated Committee to provide tailored assistance in case of difficulties in implementation or cooperation.
Algayerova stated, “The 2023 Water Conference focuses on transformative solutions. The Water Convention is precisely a solution offering multiple benefits for sustainable development and climate action. And this is why I call upon all United Nations Member States to accede to it and to take advantage of its tools and framework.”
She then asked international and regional organizations and civil society to support governments in accession and implementation.
Last December, 40 actors – countries, organizations, international financial institutions, academia, and NGOs – joined forces in the Transboundary Water Cooperation Coalition, a multistakeholder partnership to sustain and advance transboundary water cooperation.
Algayerova concluded by saying that the Coalition has been a strong advocate for commitments to transboundary cooperation to the Water Action Agenda., and that such commitments can inspire future actions to advance cooperation.
TRT: 02:12
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 - 23 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
SHOTLIST:
22 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY
1. Various shots, United Nations Headquarters, exterior
23 MARCH 2023, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, conference room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“Progress on transboundary water cooperation in accordance with SDG target 6.5 is badly off track.”
4. Med shot, participants
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“Only 24 countries worldwide have all their transboundary basin area covered by operational arrangements. Lack of cooperation on shared waters hinders the achievement of other SDGs and creates risks of conflicts over dwindling water resources.”
6. Med shot, participants
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“We do have tools to accelerate transboundary water cooperation. Governments should fully leverage the existing legal instruments, in particular, the two global UN water Conventions.”
8. Med shot, participants
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“Climate change severely affects transboundary basins. Unilateral adaptation measures can lead to maladaptation, transfer of risks, and tensions. On the contrary, transboundary cooperation makes adaptation more effective through sharing of data, costs, and benefits.”
10. Med shot, participants
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“Increasing competition over scarce water resources can lead to growing risks of conflicts. But water is also a leverage for peace.”
12. Med shot, participants
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Olga Algayerova, United Nations Under-Secretary-General / Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE):
“The 2023 Water Conference focuses on transformative solutions. The Water Convention is precisely a solution offering multiple benefits for sustainable development and climate action. And this is why I call upon all United Nations Member States to accede to it and to take advantage of its tools and framework.”
RECENT - NEW YORK CITY
14. Close up, UN flag
STORYLINE:
Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), said that progress on transboundary water cooperation “is badly off track.”
Speaking today (23 Mar) in New York at the 2023 Water Conference’s Interactive Dialogue “Water for cooperation,” Algayerova said, “Only 24 countries worldwide have all their transboundary basin area covered by operational arrangements. Lack of cooperation on shared waters hinders the achievement of other SDGs and creates risks of conflicts over dwindling water resources.”
She continued, “We do have tools to accelerate transboundary water cooperation. Governments should fully leverage the existing legal instruments, in particular, the two global UN water Conventions” – the 1997 Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses and the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, also known as the Water Convention, serviced by UNECE.
Since 2016, the Water Convention has been open for accession to all United Nations Member States.
Yesterday (22 Mar), Nigeria acceded to the Water Convention, following Chad, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, and Cameroon, which became Parties in the past few years.
More than 20 countries are on their way to joining the Convention.
One hundred thirty countries worldwide take part in activities of its institutional platform.
According to the Head of UNECE, over half of all basins worldwide still lack cooperation agreements.
The Convention provides a sound and flexible legal framework to support the development of agreements in different settings.
Since its adoption, more than 100 agreements on shared waters have been signed.
They have increased water security and economic development, promoted regional integration, and supported flood protection, early warning, and data exchange.
The Convention directly supports cooperation on the ground, such as in the Drin Basin or Senegalo Mauritanian Aquifer Basin.
Algayerova also said that lacking capacity is a major barrier to advancing cooperation.
The Water Convention offers an intergovernmental framework that provides policy responses to emerging challenges, such as the integration between water, energy, food, and environmental needs and water allocation in transboundary settings.
The Convention’s framework also promotes the exchange of experiences and builds the capacity of practitioners and basin organizations.
She also said that climate change severely affects transboundary basins.
Algayerova added, “Unilateral adaptation measures can lead to maladaptation, transfer of risks, and tensions. On the contrary, transboundary cooperation makes adaptation more effective through sharing of data, costs, and benefits.”
Over 15 years ago, the Water Convention was the first forum to support countries and transboundary basins in jointly adapting to climate change through guidance development, pilot projects, and the Global network of basins working on climate change.
Those activities have supported developing and implementing many transboundary adaptation strategies and plans, such as in the Chu-Talas, the Danube, the Dniester, the Neman, the Rhine, and the Mekong, and the Niger basins, making 300 million people worldwide more resilient to climate change.
The lack of sustainable funding models from national and international sources often prevents countries from starting or deepening their cooperation.
It also hampers the maximization of regional benefits from investments in transboundary basins. Therefore, the Convention has brought together international financial institutions, development banks, governments, and basin organizations to identify existing and innovative ways to finance transboundary cooperation and basin development.
It also raises the capacity of transboundary basins to mobilize financial resources.
Finally, UNECE’s Executive Secretary said, “increasing competition over scarce water resources can lead to growing risks of conflicts. But water is also a leverage for peace.”
To enhance the conflict prevention function of the Convention, its Parties established a dedicated Committee to provide tailored assistance in case of difficulties in implementation or cooperation.
Algayerova stated, “The 2023 Water Conference focuses on transformative solutions. The Water Convention is precisely a solution offering multiple benefits for sustainable development and climate action. And this is why I call upon all United Nations Member States to accede to it and to take advantage of its tools and framework.”
She then asked international and regional organizations and civil society to support governments in accession and implementation.
Last December, 40 actors – countries, organizations, international financial institutions, academia, and NGOs – joined forces in the Transboundary Water Cooperation Coalition, a multistakeholder partnership to sustain and advance transboundary water cooperation.
Algayerova concluded by saying that the Coalition has been a strong advocate for commitments to transboundary cooperation to the Water Action Agenda., and that such commitments can inspire future actions to advance cooperation.
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