The first Steering Committee meeting of the Georgian National Policy Dialogue on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), held in Tbilisi on 11 and 12 June 2012, approved some basic elements for new water legislation to be further developed into a draft law. The Steering Committee meeting, which was followed by a Stakeholders Workshop, was organized by the Georgian Ministry of Environment Protection and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in cooperation with Global Water Partnership Georgia.

The meeting gathered representatives of key authorities involved in water management as well as international partners to focus on the issue of new water legislation, including how to best implement the principles of IWRM, as well as the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive, given the EU-Georgia Association Agreement currently under development. Participants confirmed the strong need for new legislation, and discussed the initiation of reform in the water management sector. Experts from Finland commented on a proposed outline for new water legislation before the meeting, drawing on their Finland’s long experience in this field, as well as other countries´ experiences in implementing the EU legislation. The Steering Committee decided that the outline should be further developed, with the possible addition of a draft national water strategy.

Participants in the Steering Committee meeting also discussed Georgia’s accession to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) and to the UNECE/World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe Protocol on Water and Health, as well as the development of transboundary water cooperation with Azerbaijan. It was agreed to include financial aspects of water management as an additional component of the National Policy Dialogue. A session was also devoted to reviewing opportunities for strengthening cooperation and synergies between ongoing international projects in the country.

For further information please visit  www.unece.org/env/water/npd.htmlandhttp://www.euwi.net/policy-dialogues