The fifth session of the OIC Ministers of Water Conference kicked off today in Jeddah, chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the theme “From Vision to Impact.” The conference will continue for three consecutive days with the participation of ministers and experts in water affairs from the OIC Member States.
The conference began with a preparatory meeting of senior officials, which will address water issues and challenges shared by member states, reinforcing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s role in leading international efforts to address water resource challenges and achieve sustainable water security.
The conference aims to strengthen cooperation and partnerships between member states and OIC agencies, discuss opportunities to enable modern technologies and digital transformation in support of sustainable water resource planning and management efforts, develop joint initiatives and projects among OIC member states in the field of water, stimulate investment and financing in the water sector, and exploring innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms, thereby contributing to enhancing water security and ensuring its sustainability in Islamic countries.
During his speech at the conference, Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Muhareb Al-Shaibani, Deputy Minister for water affairs, at the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, explained that strengthening regional and international cooperation and partnerships in the field of water contributes to achieving a real impact that goes beyond theoretical planning, through the adoption of innovative solutions and modern technologies to accelerate positive change in the field of water, thereby enhancing the ability to meet the growing challenges in the sector.
Al-Shibani added that the Kingdom has taken effective measures in water resource management, developed appropriate strategies, policies, and programs, and developed mechanisms to increase economic and social value, improve overall water use efficiency, leverage local and global expertise, attracting investment, localizing technologies, and contributing to addressing water challenges and achieving development goals in line with Saudi Vision 2030. He noted that the Kingdom’s integrated water resources management index rose from 57% to 83% between 2017 and 2023, which represents one of the fastest rates of progress in the world, prompting the United Nations to select the Kingdom as a global model for accelerating the achievement of the sixth Sustainable Development Goal.
For his part, the Assistant Secretary-General for Science and Technology of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Ambassador Aftab Ahmad Khokher, stressed that the theme of the conference, “From Vision to Impact”, underscored the need to advance the implementation of the goals set by the OIC Water Vision and to formulate a future course of action for addressing water related issues, which are of immense importance to the OIC Member States.
Ambassador Khokher affirmed the Organization’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote water sustainability, conserve water resources, and enhance resilience to water scarcity, in addition to continuing to work with its institutions and international partners to achieve common water security goals.
He also expressed appreciation to the Arab Republic of Egypt for chairing the Fourth Session of the Conference and extended sincere gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting and chairing the Fifth Session, as well as for its generous support of the programs and activities of the Organization.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s chairmanship of these activities confirms its leading role in addressing water issues regionally and internationally, as it attaches great importance to the water sector, by implementing national strategies aimed at achieving water security and supporting environmental sustainability, enhancing the efficiency of water resource management, and supporting international cooperation and exchange of expertise in this field, thereby contributing to greater integration and the achievement of sustainable development goals.
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