Side Event to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly - "Water and conflict - Addressing water insecurity issues in fragile and conflict-affected countries"
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The Geneva Water Hub together with PAX, the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York of the Republic of Slovenia, the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York of the Swiss Confederation, the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York of Mozambique co-sponsored a side-event entitled “Water and conflict: addressing water insecurity issues in fragile and conflict-affected countries” held during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. Our Lead Legal Specialist, Dr Mara Tignino, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva, restated that international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties to an armed conflict, including states, armed non-state actors and criminal groups. The human rights to water and sanitation as well as the human right to food and the human right to health also continue to apply in armed conflict. Dr Tignino argued that we need to recognize that “crimes against water” can be part of war crimes and even crimes against humanity.
Dr Tignino speaking at the side event.
For those of you who did not have the possibility to attend the side event in full, the recording of the event can be found here.
The summary report is available below.
This UNGA78 side-event will take stock of the most pressing challenges around the vulnerability of water resources in armed conflicts and provide policy recommendations to improve the protection and management of water ecosystems. The event will feature presentation of findings from the UN Special Rapporteur’s 2023 report on the rights to water and sanitation as a tool for peace, prevention and cooperation, with additional research and insights from international organizations and civil society experts on damage to water infrastructure in conflict zones and the growing impact of climate change on these areas.
Objectives of the event
The aim of this event is to raise international awareness on the most pressing challenges around the vulnerability of water resources in armed conflicts and provide policy recommendations to improve the protection and management of water ecosystems in fragile and conflict-affected countries. The event will feature the presentation of the findings from the UN Special Rapporteur’s forthcoming report, with additional research from civil society actors and international organizations on the relationship between water, conflict, climate and the environment. The discussion will bring together representatives from States, the UN, humanitarian organizations, academia, and civil society, including those from water-fragile and conflict-affected countries. Participants will seek to identify ways to improve international approaches to the protection of water resources in conflict and the facilitation of access to water by affected communities, as well as to explore opportunities for environmental peacebuilding around water resources.
Format
The event will be held in an in-person/hybrid format. Following welcoming remarks, the panel will begin with introductions by the moderator and briefings from selected featured expert discussants representing international organizations and civil society. The panel will be followed by the floor opening to other participants who may wish to make interventions.
The event is a collaboration between the PAX, Geneva Water Hub, the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York of the Republic of Slovenia, the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York of the Swiss Confederation, the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York of Mozambique.
Requests to make an intervention from the floor should be sent to Ms. Christina Parandii (c.parandii[at]paxforpeace.nl) and Mr. Francesc Teodoro (f.teodoro[at]paxforpeace.nl) no later than 5pm EDT on Wednesday, 18 October 2023.
The event flyer as well as the full concept note are available below.
