By: UKOM
This year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia is participating for the first time as one of the partners of World Water Week, which is taking place from 23 to 27 August 2021 in Stockholm. At High Level Panel on water diplomacy “Water Diplomacy: Navigating a Resilient Future”, Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Igor Jukič underlined that discussion on water in the international community requires a comprehensive, cross-sectoral, multidisciplinary, and multistakeholder approach.
Tensions over access to water between countries and within each of them will heighten, and the need for enhanced EU action in water diplomacy will increase. Water-related risks should therefore remain an integral part of the Union’s external action in development, humanitarian aid and peace, in order to achieve conflict prevention as well as establishing and preserving peace.
This year’s 30th edition of World Water Week taking place in Stockholm is dedicated to water and climate change with an emphasis on resilience and valuation of water. World Water Week is one of the most attended and prominent events on water, bringing together over 12,000 representatives from 170 countries and around 120 international organisations. Among this year’s participants is President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor, who took part in the High Level Panel on gender equality and water “Accelerating Gender Equality in the Water Domain”, which was organised by UNESCO on 23 August.
Slovenia has placed water and water diplomacy at the forefront of its foreign policy activities. Furthermore, water in the EU’s external action features among the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.