The first consultative meeting was held online on 24 February 2021 and gathered the designated representatives from the organizations that serve in the Technical Scientific and Advisory Committee of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, the Regional Collaborative Platform-Issue Based Coalition work pillar on Water, Food Security and Nutrition, and the UN-Water Regional Discussion Group for Arab States, based on the existing mandates to follow-up on regional preparatory work related to the Water Action Decade.
All participant institutions expressed their full commitment to the Water Action Decade (WAD) preparatory process. In summary, the following was agreed to:
- Conduct a session on the WAD during the 5th Arab Water Forum (21-23 September 2021, Abu Dhabi, UAE).
- Hold the regional preparatory meeting in February 2022 as a tentative date.
- The summary of the Arab regional report on the WAD will be used to inform the preparation of the UNSG’s report to the WAD.
- Short policy briefs (1-3 pages) with key policy messages generated from prior consultations and regional contributions to the WAD will help to inform the preparation of the regional meeting and regional report.
- Consider a wider range of engagement than the usual stakeholders to ensure the process is as participatory as possible.
- Next consultation meeting to be tentatively held during the first week of April 2021 as a 2-hr long virtual event and build on outcomes of the next UN-Water meeting planned for March 2021. The meeting will include more specific guidance on the scope of the report as well as the size and scale of the planned preparatory meeting. Participation in the consultation meeting would be extended to external stakeholders.
- Participants are strongly encouraged to share by email suggestions about other ideas, events to raise awareness about the WAD, and additional stakeholders to engage. All inputs are to be consolidated for the next consultation meeting.
Amman, Jordan
