Groundwater Integration Dialogue #2

Buenos Aires, Argentina 11-14 June 2013

UNESCO, UNECE and the GEF decided to join forces to advance transboundary water cooperation worldwide on the basis of the international law and in particular in light of the global opening of the UNECE Water Convention to all United Nations Member States.
This partnership will aim at raising awareness on the importance, benefits and challenges of water cooperation; enhancing knowledge and developing capacity; fostering partnerships, dialogue and cooperation around water resources as top priority; strengthening international cooperation among institutions, users, social and economic sectors, among others.
The long-term partnership between these three organizations was strengthened with the adoption by the Meeting of the Parties of the UNECE Water Convention (Rome, 28-30 November 2012) of the decisions on cooperation with UNESCO and GEF.
Considering the cooperative nature of this workshop on transboundary waters for the LAC region, UNESCO and GEF have decided to organize two back-to-back events dedicated to GEF International Waters Projects in the region with the objective of promoting conjunctive management of groundwater and surface waters and to discuss options to further improve the governance of these resources.
Key partners in the organization of these meetings were IUCN, ECLAC, the University of Bologna and IGRAC for their respective knowledge and expertise on transboundary waters in the region.
The spirit of the International Year of Water Cooperation fi nds here its concrete realization when different communities come together to fi nd sustainable solutions to common challenges and share new ideas and perspectives.

Agenda and Background Information

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International Year of Water Cooperation 2013

In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation (Resolution A/RES/65/154). In refl ection of this declaration, the World Water Day on 22 March 2013 was also dedicated to water cooperation. UN-Water has called upon UNESCO to lead the 2013 United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation, in particular because of the Organization’s unique multidisciplinary approach which blends the natural and social sciences, education, culture and communication.
Given the intrinsic nature of water as a transversal and universal element, the United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation naturally would embrace and touch upon all these aspects.
The objective of this International Year is to raise awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation, and on the challenges facing water management in light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and services. The Year will highlight the history of successful water cooperation initiatives, as well as identify burning issues on water education, water diplomacy, transboundary water management, fi nancing cooperation, national/international legal frameworks, and the linkages with the Millennium Development Goals. www.watercooperation2013.org

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