Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Dennis Francis,
At the Opening Ceremony of the Third High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028
Tuesday, 11 June 2024,
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
[As Delivered]
Your Excellency Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great privilege to be here today – amidst the majestic surroundings of Dushanbe – to participate in the Third High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”.
I warmly congratulate our gracious hosts – you personally, Your Excellency, Emomali Rahmon, the Government, and people of the Republic of Tajikistan – for organising this pivotal conference, in collaboration with the United Nations.
Your visionary leadership in steadfastly promoting the global water agenda is laudable.
Water is the very essence of life. It is a catalyst for sustainable development, driving progress across every sphere of our lives – social, economic, and environmental.
The 2023 UN Water Conference, held in March last year, marked a literal watershed moment in our pursuit of sustainable development – igniting a powerful new narrative recognising the priceless value of water and fostering novel and innovative models of cooperation to conserve it.
The Dushanbe Water Process stands as a radiant symbol of promise – illuminated by the remarkable surge of momentum generated during the 2023 Water Conference.
To date – with an awe-inspiring tally of approximately 850 commitments rallied through the Water Action Agenda – Member States and stakeholders came together a year ago and laid the bedrock for monumental change.
Excellencies,
As we convene here in Dushanbe, our expectations are higher still. However, the challenges before us are considerable.
Billions of people lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
For women, these are not just mereinconveniences – they perpetuate cycles of oppression, trapping them in the abyss of gender inequality and limiting their opportunities in every aspect of life.
To achieve both sustainability and peace we must relentlessly pursue equality of access to this fundamental resource.
Achieving universal and equitable access by 2030 demands a significant, substantial acceleration of our current efforts.
We must adopt a holistic approach to water management – integrating innovation, evidence-based solutions, increased investment, and enhanced collaboration among all stakeholders.
But, dear colleagues,
Our words must be matched by tangible, purposeful action.
Our success hinges on mobilising resources – and building inclusive partnerships encompassing local communities, indigenous peoples, civil society organisations, and governments.
Our collective efforts here in Dushanbe must build on the success of the 2023 Water Conference and pave a robust pathway towards the 2026 Conference and the 2028 UN Water Conference on the Final Comprehensive Review of the Water Action Decade – which the Tajik Government has graciously offered to host.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we chart our course forward, let us not forget the broader context.
Our oceans and seas – the lifeblood of our planet – face unprecedented threats.
Sea-level rise, in particular, poses a grave challenge – as was stressed by many Member States during the recent Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States.
I am highly motivated by the upcoming High-Level Meeting on sea-level rise on 25 September in New York – which I believe will serve as a decisive step towards mobilising urgent global action.
I urge all Member States and stakeholders to leverage the outcomes of the Dushanbe Water Process at this crucial gathering and the forthcoming Summit of the Future, also in September.
I also take a moment to commend Tajikistan, alongside the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Libya, for their recent UN initiative on International Football Day.
This initiative is a clear demonstration of Tajikistan’s unwavering commitment to multilateralism, emphasizing the vital role of sports in fostering cooperation, peace, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals – principles deeply embedded in Tajikistan’s ethos.
On the road to September and beyond, let us heed the wisdom of a Tajik proverb: “Ob obro meyobad” – “Water finds its own level” – a reminder of the innate harmony of nature and of our quest for balance and progress in achieving water sustainability.
Let us draw strength from these wise words of counsel.
Together, we can – and must – create a future where everyone, everywhere, has access to clean water, our oceans thrive as sustainable maritime ecosystems, and the invaluable richness of our planet is preserved for future generations.
I thank you.
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