The joint meeting of the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment and the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management took place in Geneva, 3–4 July 2012.

This meeting was an important event in preparation for the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention (MoP-6), that will take place in Rome from 28 to 30 November 2012. The main outcomes of the meeting and the important decisions taken by the two Working Groups were made on the agenda issues.

1. Opening of the Convention

The Working Groups had a thorough discussion on the document Draft decision on accession by non-ECE countries (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2012/L.4 − ECE/MP.WAT/WG.2/2012/L.4. There was unanimity of delegations on the decision to approve all future requests for accession by non-ECE countries as well as on the wish to speed up the operationalization of the amendment once it enters into force. As no delegation supported option A in the document, it was decided that the draft decision to be submitted to the MoP will only include options B and C. The Bureau of the Convention with the assistance of the Chair of the Legal Board was entrusted with the preparation of the document for submission to the MoP. It was stressed that the draft decision has important political and legal dimensions and therefore Parties were strongly encouraged to consult at home with all appropriate offices, taking also into account the perspective of countries outside the UNECE region potentially interested in acceding to the Convention.

As the opening of the Convention is of a high importance and will be one of the main items on the agenda of the MoP, all Parties were invited to inform the secretariat ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) by 15 August 2012 of their position on this issue to ensure appropriate preparations.

The Working Groups also urged all Parties to the Convention which have not yet done so to ratify the amendments to articles 25 and 26 adopted in 2003 as soon as possible, possibly by the sixth session of the MoP.

2. Establishment of the Implementation Committee

Documentation: Draft decision on the establishment of an implementation committee (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2012/L.2–ECE/MP.WAT/WG.2/2012/L.2)

The Working Groups recalled the procedure for nomination of candidates for the Implementation Committee by Parties to the Convention, which may take into consideration proposals for candidates made by Signatories or by non-governmental organizations qualified or having an interest in the fields to which the Convention relates.

It was recalled that members of the Committee shall be persons with experience and recognized expertise in the fields related to the Convention, including legal and/or scientific and technical expertise and they do not have to be nationals of the country proposing them but should be fluent in English. It was emphasized that the future success of the Implementation Committee will greatly depend on its authority and the trust it will inspire and therefore it is fundamental to ensure the membership of highly regarded experts with an outstanding reputation in the Committee. Candidates nominations should be sent by Parties to the secretariat by 4 September 2012.

3. Draft programme of work for 2013–2015

Documentation: Draft programme of work for 2013–2015 (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2012/L.1–ECE/MP.WAT/WG.2/2012/L.1)

The Working Groups endorsed the draft programme of work for 2013–2015 and invited Parties, non-Parties and other stakeholders to provide any additional comments by 31 July 2012. The Bureau of the Convention, in collaboration with the secretariat, was entrusted with the finalization of the draft programme of work for 2013–2015 on the basis of the comments received at the meeting and thereafter.

The Working Groups invited Parties, non-Parties and other stakeholders to consider providing financial resources for the implementation of the draft programme of work, and to indicate such pledges at the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties.

4. Transboundary Groundwaters

Documentation: Draft model provisions on transboundary groundwaters (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2012/L.3– ECE/MP.WAT/WG.2/2012/L.3)

The Working Groups endorsed the draft model provisions on transboundary groundwaters and invited Parties, non-Parties and other stakeholders to provide final comments to the document by 31 July 2012. The Chair and the Vice-Chair of the Legal Board in cooperation with the Bureau of the Convention were entrusted with their finalization on the basis of the comments received for submission of the model provisions for adoption to the MoP-6.

5. Special edition assessment on the water-food-energy nexus

Documentation: Lessons learned from the preparation of the Second Assessment and future assessments under the Convention (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.1/2012/4–ECE/MP.WAT/WG.2/2012/4)

The Working Groups endorsed the draft concept for the special edition assessment on the water-food-energy nexus and invited Parties, non-Parties and other stakeholders to provide their comments and suggestions on the concept by 31 July 2012. The Working Groups also requested Parties and non-Parties to suggest basins for the special edition assessment on the water-food-energy nexus as it would be important to have at the time of the Meeting of the Parties an overview of the future basins involved. Deadline for suggesting basins for the special edition assessment on the water-food-energy nexus, accompanied by the relevant justification should be sent to the secretariat by 15 October 2012.

6. Vision for the future of the Water Convention

Documentation: Draft vision for the future of the Water Convention (ECE.MP.WAT/WG.1/2012/L.5–ECE.MP.WAT/WG.1/2012/L.5)

The Working Groups endorsed the draft vision for the future of the Convention and invited Parties, non-Parties and other stakeholders to provide any additional comment to the draft vision to the secretariat by 31 July 2012. The Working Groups entrusted the Bureau of the Convention, in collaboration with the secretariat, with its finalization.

All presentations delivered at the meeting as well as all documents are available at: http://www.unece.org/env/water/joint_meeting_wgiwrm_wgma.html

Read more at http://www.unece.org/env/water/