Yesterday, the 17th Meeting of the Group of Friends on Water and Peace took place in the Geneva Press Club. Organized by the Permanent Mission of Slovenia and Geneva Water Hub, the event was dedicated to the issues of water and peace and their link with the UN Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028.

Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva Jamshed Khamidov and Director General for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Kitty van der Heijden have delivered opening statements at the event as the co-hosts of the UN Water Conference in New York in March 2023.

In his speech, Khamidov once again reiterated the urgency of the water crisis in light of the climate change and called for action and commitment from participants and representatives of the Member States to scale up efforts in addressing the water challenges of the world, emphasizing the significance of water for safety and economy. Also, the importance of implementation of the Water Action Decade and acceleration of global action on water by the countries and stakeholders has been stressed.