GCC Affirms Commitment to Continue Innovation, International Cooperation to Ensure Water Resources Sustainability for Future Generations

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States have affirmed their commitment to continue innovation and international cooperation to ensure the sustainability of water resources for future generations. This came in a statement by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al-Muftah, which she delivered on behalf of the GCC States, in her capacity as Chair of the Gulf Group, during the interactive dialogue on the report of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Water, within the framework of the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The GCC States affirmed that they place the issue of the right to water and achieving sustainable water security among their national priorities, noting that it is currently the subject of close collective planning and cooperation that establishes a comprehensive and joint water policy among the GCC States. The GCC States said that they are working collectively to enact several joint water laws and legi slation and prepare unified GCC plans similar to the joint plan to confront water emergencies and unify the monitoring and management of groundwater reservoirs, which contributes to preserving water sustainability and exploiting it fairly. The GCC States expressed their pride in their extensive experience in water resources management, and their continued adoption of an innovative and sustainable approach to ensuring water security, noting their ambition to assume a leading position by using low-cost options and implementing comprehensive reforms based on clean and renewable energy in water management. They pointed out their endeavor in this field to share best practices by hosting major forums such as the World Water, Energy and Climate Change Conference hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2023, and the 11th World Water Forum to be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2027. The GCC States thanked the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Water for his important report, which contributed to clarifying sev eral pivotal concepts about the right to water as a public good and a common global heritage, and clarified ways to manage this wealth in a manner that is subject to the principle of sustainability, respects human rights and achieves economic development. Source: Qatar News Agency