Excellencies,

I am pleased to send greetings to this important meeting.

Sustainable management of transboundary waters is vital in addressing disasters, adapting to climate change, ensuring peace and fostering sustainable development.

The two water conventions on your agenda constitute important breakthroughs in the development of international water law.

The UN Watercourses Convention finally provides a universally-applicable legal framework to assist countries and basins to jointly manage their shared resources.

The UNECE Water Convention provides an important framework for cooperation.

It has evolved to address climate change and other emerging challenges.

And the Convention has led to ground-breaking work on the nexus between water, food, energy and ecosystems.

These two Conventions complement each other and should be implemented in synergy.

I call on Member States to join both Conventions and carry out their provisions – for greater water cooperation around the world.

Thank you.