Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to participate in the 2022 Cairo Water Week ¡°Water at the Heart of Climate Action¡±. I would like to congratulate the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt for organizing this important annual conference.
Water and climate are closely linked through a complex hydrological cycle. With rising average global temperatures, the world is experiencing more extreme water-related weather events.
In the Horn of Africa, an unprecedented drought lasting four consecutive years is threatening the lives and livelihoods of 22 million people with food insecurity and extreme poverty.
By 2030, up to 700 million people in Africa are estimated to face a risk of displacement by drought.
Resilient and adaptive water management is a key component of adapting to climate change.
We must strengthen the management of water resources between conflicting sectors and promote transboundary cooperation within the same river basin.
Integrated Water Resources Management can help to address a broad range of socioeconomic challenges, including water resources development, water scarcity, disaster risk reduction, food security, energy production, health and transportation.
With this in mind, the 51³Ô¹Ï General Assembly will convene the 51³Ô¹Ï Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, ¡°Water for Sustainable Development¡±, 2018¨C2028, also known as the UN 2023 Water Conference, at UN Headquarters in New York from 22 to 24 March next year.
The Conference will comprise five interactive dialogues to discuss the following proposed themes:
1. Water for Health
2. Water for Development
3. Water for Climate, Resilience and Environment
4. Water for Cooperation
5. Water Action Decade
We expect these themes to be finalized at a preparatory meeting convened by the President of the UN General Assembly on 25 October, following a stakeholder consultation on 24 October.
A major outcome of the UN 2023 Water Conference is the Water Action Agenda, a set of voluntary commitments for water actions announced by governments, international organizations, the private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders. All participants in the Conference are encouraged to share actions for tackling water issues and accelerating sustainable development.
The Cairo Water Week is a perfect opportunity to send consolidated messages from Africa and the Middle East to the UN 2023 Water Conference. I wish you a fruitful discussion and look forward to the outcomes.
I thank you.