Security Council 7959th Meeting (PM) Spotlighting the scarcity of Earth’s most precious resource, the United Nations Secretary-General today urged world leaders to invest in water security, amid increasing demand and the burgeoning effects of climate change.
Council members must commit to investing in water security to ensure durable peace and security for all communities and nations.
Government agreements must underscore the need to sustainability manage transboundary water resources.
Beyond recognizing the link between water, peace and security and the need to prevent related conflicts, the goal should be sharing experiences of cooperation and success stories.
Water management could also serve as a building block for sustainable development, peace and security.
Water should be a tool for cooperation, development and security.
While there was no standard approach to resolving water disputes, increasing the capacity of Member States would help them engage better in the transboundary management of the resource.
Meanwhile, the United Nations and international community must continue to respect national sovereignty.
Riparian States had negotiated the Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement for almost 13 years, and it was now signed by six States and ratified by three others.
As conflicts were best resolved locally or regionally, river basin governance efforts should be supported.