16-17 June, Geneva

The seminar on monitoring and assessment of transboundary waters in the UNECE region will take place on 16–17 (a.m.) June 2008 in Geneva back-to-back with the ninth meeting of the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment to be held on 17 (p.m.)-18 June 2008.

The Seminar will be an important occasion for: (a) exchanging experience among EU countries with the implementation of monitoring programmes according to the EU Water Framework Directive; (b) sharing applicable lessons learned with non-EU countries; and (c) learning about experience, good practices and challenges in non-EU countries. The event will also contribute to the identification of priority areas of future work for the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment.

The seminar is intended for transboundary water managers, representatives of established joint bodies, and experts with a role in monitoring and assessment of transboundary waters from governmental and non-governmental organizations and the private sector – from the whole UNECE region. Focal points are requested to disseminate information on the seminar and facilitate nomination of relevant experts from their respective countries. The registration form should be submitted by 1 June 2008.

Experts are invited to send proposals for presentations relevant to the objectives of the seminar to the Water Convention secretariat (water.convention@unece.org) by 1 May 2008 at the latest. Proposals should include the title of the presentation as well as a short abstract (maximum 400 words).

Eligible participants from countries with economies in transition may apply for financial support to facilitate their participation in the seminar. Requests for financial support should be submitted to the UNECE secretariat (olga.carlos@unece.org) as soon as possible, but not later than 21 April 2008. Due to of the limited funds available, priority will be given to experts providing input to the seminar.

The documents for the seminar can be found in the table below