22 December 2014
UNECE Water Convention Parties Discuss Reporting Mechanism
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The Core Group on Reporting under the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes concluded its first meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, which reviewed and compared reporting mechanisms of relevance under other international agreements.

UNECE16 December 2014: The Core Group on Reporting under the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes concluded its first meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, which reviewed and compared reporting mechanisms of relevance under other international agreements.

The Core Group on Reporting was established by the Meeting of Parties to the UNECE Water Convention at its sixth session (MOP-6) in November 2012 in Rome, Italy, with the mandate to prepare a proposal for a possible reporting mechanism under the Convention. The Core Group on Reporting is part of the Convention’s Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

At its Geneva meeting, from 15-16 December 2014, the Core Group discussed results of a questionnaire sent to parties, other States and organizations in late 2013, and reviewed reporting mechanisms under other European Conventions, including the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, and the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers.

The Group noted that questionnaire results showed that the majority of respondents supported the introduction of reporting under the Convention. However, European Union (EU) member states emphasized the need to avoid duplication of reporting requirements. They observed that the introduction of reporting would have implications for the Secretariat and would require the allocation of additional human and financial resources. They favored streamlining the reporting requirements, possibly based on the use of a web-based reporting template.

The Core Group on Reporting is part of the Convention’s Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). [Meeting Notice] [Agenda] [Draft Analysis of Reporting Needs Under the UNECE Water Convention] [Overview of National Implementation Reporting Under MEAs]

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