Arab General Water elects Muftin council members today

The meetings of the General Assembly of the Arab Water Council will begin Saturday with the representatives of 25 Arab countries to elect the Board of Governors, with the participation of the Secretary General of the League, the Minister of Finance and the Secretary General. Irrigation, several Arab ministers, representatives of diplomatic missions in Cairo, representatives of regional and international organizations, representatives of civil society, civil society organizations and public figures.

During these meetings, Mr. Mahmoud Abu Zeid, President of the Arab Water Council, will sign two cooperation agreements in the areas of water resources management and climate change.

He indicated that at the General Assembly will be held the elections of the Board of "Governors" for the new session 2019-2021, which will include 45 seats, of which 20 will be directly elected and 22 seats will be appointed according to their designation by their governments and their official authorities in Arab countries.

He added that during the meetings, a number of main themes and sub-themes will be discussed for the work plan of the Arab Water Council, in line with the priorities and recommendations adopted by the Fourth Arab Forum. water held in Cairo last November and the preparation of the Fifth Arab Water Forum. Objectives of water security and sustainable development in the Arab region.

The President of the Council explained that the decisions taken at the previous General Assembly would be reviewed, including: promoting cooperation and sustainable solutions for sharing water resources, and developing Arab capacity in the water sector , by encouraging dialogue and exchange of experiences and by implementing specialized training programs (water diplomacy, negotiation techniques and mechanisms). Establish an Arab network for the exchange of knowledge between Arab riparian countries in shared river basins, set up a think tank to resolve conflicts and strengthen cooperation in the management of shared water resources between Arab countries.

He stressed that Governing Council members would participate in the development of the Council's strategies and work plan for the next three years (2019-2021) through three working groups, namely the work to activate the role of members and to revitalize members and ensure sustainable funding of Council and Working Group activities and programs for program preparation and implementation. The technical activities of the Council and the working group for the preparation of forums and conferences.

With regard to the two agreements to be signed, AbuZayd stressed that the purpose of these two agreements is to establish and strengthen cooperation between partners in order to exchange knowledge, skills and competences. to cope with the challenges facing Arab countries, especially climate change Precipitation has increased by about 20% due to the high temperature prevailing by the end of the century and the end of the century. increased losses due to increasing evaporation.

He stressed that the first agreement provided for the launch of the first phase of the activities of the Facility for the links between climate change and its goals of sustainable development, water security, food security and social vulnerability in the countries. in the framework of cooperation between the United Nations Development Program, the League of Arab States and the Arab Water Council. For the joint cooperation between the Arab Water Council and the International Center for Agricultural Research (ICARDA) in the areas of water resources management and the extension of the use of water resources. Unconventional water, Uh clandestinity and good management and governance.

Under this agreement, a multi-phased program to support climate action at the regional and national levels will be launched, taking into account capacity building for adaptation to vulnerable communities exposed to the region's climatic conditions. Arab.

Mr. Hussein Al-Atfi, Secretary General of the Arab Water Council and former Minister of Irrigation, said that the Board of Governors was the supreme body of the Arab Council of the United Arab Emirates. He was responsible for defining the Board's detailed policies and for making organizational and executive decisions to ensure their proper functioning. Other Council bodies, whose members are elected every three years.

He added that three important technical sessions would be held during the General Assembly: the first on the indicators of the state of water in the Arab region and its relations with sustainable development, and the second on the use of modern technologies and remote sensing techniques for the management of water resources for sustainable agriculture. While the third session will discuss the main outcomes of the International Hydrological Program for Groundwater and Groundwater and Arid Zones in cooperation with UNESCO, and the latest on the agenda of the Arab Water Council. to support regional efforts to expand the use of water is traditional to cope with the shortage of water and growing needs due to the increase in population.