Conference on "Promoting Partnerships and Activities in Sustainable Management of Water Resources"

On June 29, 2022, an international conference on "Promoting Partnership and Activity in Sustainable Management of Water Resources" was held in the "Smart Village" residential complex in Aghali village of Zangilan district, organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Karabakh Revival Fund.

The hybrid format event, attended by the accredited diplomatic corps of Azerbaijan, influential international organizations, and experts, discussed the efforts to achieve the goals and objectives of continuous development in the field of water resources, fostering international dialogue for the global and regional solution of this issue, and establishing partnerships in the transboundary context.

During the conference, Mukhtar Babayev, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, provided participants with information about projects implemented in the liberated territories, including the restoration of ecosystems and infrastructure, establishment of hydro meteorological observation systems, creation of environmental monitoring stations, afforestation initiatives, forest restoration activities, and sustainable use of water resources.

He also addressed issues related to ecological terrorism committed by Armenia during the nearly 30-year occupation period, the damage caused to nature, and the continued pollution of water bodies, including the deliberate contamination of the Oxchuchay River and other water reservoirs by Armenia.

Minister Babayev emphasized the importance of combining efforts of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, the private sector, and civil society in implementing the goals and objectives related to water within the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development." Rahman Hajıyev, the Chairman of the Executivr Board of the Karabakh Revival Fund, highlighted the significant impact of ecological terrorism, environmental damage, and the contamination of water sources in the region's ecological situation and natural resources.

He stressed the need for international cooperation to address the growing problems of water pollution, ecosystem degradation, water scarcity caused by climate change, and the lack of cooperation in transboundary waters.

In conclusion, Rahman Hajıyev called on participants to contribute to potential partnerships, the elimination of damage to the environment in the liberated territories, the restoration of ecological balance, and the improvement of socio-economic prosperity.

The conference also featured discussions with the participation of Ilhama Qasimova, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Vladanka Andreeva, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Azerbaijan, Peter Michalko, Head of the European Union Delegation to Azerbaijan, Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Sonja Koeppel, Secretary of the United Nations Water Convention, and Bruno Pozzi, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme's European Office, among other officials.

At the end of the conference, a draft outcome document was adopted for the event related to the Water Convention, which will be presented at the Water Convention in Estonia on June 30. It is worth noting that Azerbaijan ratified the Convention in 2000 and actively participates in its implementation.

Within the framework of the International Conference, representatives of the diplomatic corps familiarized themselves with the infrastructure created in the "Smart Village."