17-19 May 2016 | Istanbul
The Third Session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water was held in Istanbul at Conrad Bosphorus Hotel on 17-19 May 2016. Organized by SUEN in close cooperation with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and relevant institutions, the Conference decided Turkey to be a member of the OIC Water Council until 2022.
Inaugurated by H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey and H.E. Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroglu, Minister of Forestry and Water Affairs, the Conference was attended by 18 ministers and many senior officers from 38 OIC member states. Held under the main theme “From Vision to Action”, the Third Session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water adopted important decisions towards the implementation of the OIC Water Vision document, which was adopted at the Second Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water in Istanbul in 2012.
Prior to the Opening Ceremony of the Conference, a Senior Officials Meeting was held for the finalization of the documents to be adopted by the Ministers. The Conference also featured two panel discussions on "Capacity Building in Water Sector" and "Prevention of Waterborne Diseases", an emerging issue in the OIC region. Achievement of MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and elements of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) were also addressed by the keynote speakers to discuss the future of water in OIC countries.
At the end of the Third Session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water, the Terms of Reference for the OIC Water Council that specifies the operation procedures of the OIC Water Council was adopted.
Having pioneered the adoption of the OIC Water Vision document, the establishment of the OIC Water Council, and hosted the meetings to date, Turkey was decided to be a member of the OIC Water Council until 2022. In addition to Turkey, the Conference decided Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Algeria, Guinea, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to be included in the OIC Water Council membership until 2018, so as to ensure equal representation of the Arab, Africa and Asia regions.
During the country statements, Saudi Arabia and Egypt declared their intentions to host the Fourth Session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water to be held in 2018. The Conference called upon the OIC Water Council to implement capacity building strategies in an effort to prevent waterborne diseases in particular. In accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, another call was made for international cooperation, particularly towards the efficient use of water, wastewater treatment and reuse, and disseminating the use of innovative methods like desalination and rainwater harvesting among member states to ensure access to clean and adequate drinking water supply and sanitation services for all.
The Conference decided to establish a database under the management of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) in order to bring together the demands and solution proposals of the OIC member states related to water management. The member states were also called upon to utilize the Capacity Building Programme on Water Resources Management (Water CaB) implemented by SESRIC.
Click here for the outcome documents, presentations and photos of the Conference.