Rudolph Cleveringa, Executive Secretary, Global Water Partnership (GWP) had an interview with Farozaan magazine during his recent visit to Pakistan in December 2017.

More than 140 decision makers and representatives of government, civil society, international organisations, donors, financing institutions, and the private and banking sector, came together for 3 days sharing experiences and discussing needs, challenges and next steps during the “Conference on Water Governance in MENA and wider Mediterranean region” that was held in Barcelona, on 12-14 December. The Regional Conference was organised under the auspices of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), by two UfM-labelled projects supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), namely the Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector project led by GWP-Med, and the Regional Water Integrity Capacity Building Programme in MENA, led by SIWI UNDP Water Governance Facility. The Conference was organised in close and strategic synergy with the EU-funded Sustainable Water Integrated Management and Horizon 2020 Support Mechanism (SWIM-H2020 SM) regional project.

Earlier in 2017 a newly established Youth Water Community Central and Eastern Europe started a project about the reduction of plastic pollution in the river Ishmi in Albania. The project’s first activity was a workshop with local students that took place on 5 December at the Agricultural University of Tirana.

More than 140 decision makers and representatives of government, civil society, international organisations, donors, financing institutions, and the private and banking sector, came together for 3 days sharing experiences and discussing needs, challenges and next steps during the “Conference on Water Governance in MENA and wider Mediterranean region” that was held in Barcelona, on 12-14 December. The Regional Conference was organised under the auspices of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), by two UfM-labelled projects supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), namely the Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector project led by GWP-Med, and the Regional Water Integrity Capacity Building Programme in MENA, led by SIWI UNDP Water Governance Facility. The Conference was organised in close and strategic synergy with the EU-funded Sustainable Water Integrated Management and Horizon 2020 Support Mechanism (SWIM-H2020 SM) regional project.

Mr. Hongqi SHANG, on behalf of GWP China Region, was duly approved by the GWP Steering Committee as new independent Nomination Committee member on 5th December 2017, in Stockholm, Sweden. Let us congratulate this tireless water-worrier to be a member of the GWP Nomination Committee!!!

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism was proposed by Chinese Primer Likeqiang ni the 17th China-ASEAN Leaders’ meeting held in November of 2015, which aims to strengthen all-round and friendly cooperation among China and Mekong countries and promote regional overall development. The First Lancang-Mekong (LMC) Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Jinghong, Yunnan Province of China in November of 2015 formally announced the establishment of the LMC Mechanism.

On December 11 and 12, 2017, the GWP Pan-Asian delegation formed by members of GWPO, GWP CASENA Region, GWP China Region, GWP SAS Region and GWP SEA Region participated into the 3rd APWS and organized a thematic session during the Summit in Yangon, Myanmar.

United Nations Water (UN-Water) coordinates the efforts of United Nations entities and international organizations working on water and sanitation issues. The UN Regional Commissions are mandated to provide recommendations from all regions for a more efficient model for regional level coordination of UN-Water activities, in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development and with a focus on SDG6.

Bhutan Water Partnership (BhWP) accredited as a Country Water Partnership (CWP), where the CWP has granted the responsibility for coordinating the action of GWP in Bhutan.

Asia and the Pacific has made impressive progress towards achieving several sustainable development goals including poverty alleviation, education and economic growth. At the same time, the region needs to accelerate concerted efforts across all sectors to achieve the SDGs by 2030. In the face of transboundary challenges such as climate change and natural disasters, energy security and connectivity, ecosystem degradation on land and in our oceans, and promoting sustainable equitable trade, regional cooperation can support and complement the effectiveness of national mechanisms and be a link between global goals and country level commitments.