Saghit Ibatullin - Chairman of the EC IFAS "Strengthening regional cooperation on water: role of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea " Женева 12 ноября 2009 г.

Systematic objectives and key functions of the IFAS resulted from the Statement of the Heads of Central Asia Objective 1. To continue cooperation targeted to improve environmental and socio-economic situation in the basin of the Aral Sea. Objective 2. To develop mutually acceptable mechanism on integrated use of water resources and protection of environment in Central Asia with taking into account interest of all states in Region. Objectives Tasks Task 1. To foster activities and develop cooperation with the UN organizations. Task 2. To further improvement organizational structure and legislative base of the IFAS. Task 3. To develop Action Program on providing assistance to the countries of the Aral Sea basin for period (PASB-3) with participation of national experts and donors.

Task 2 Further improvement of organizational structure and agreement- legilsative base of the IFAS Improvement of the IFAS structure, measures on develoment of general potentials of the EC IFAS, SIC ICWC, and MKUR based on the strenthening their mandates as the international organizations and also optimization of their structures and overall management; Coordination of the activities both of the IFAS structural bodies and donor organizations; Development of the potential of the WRMB “Amudarya” WRMB “Syrdarya”taking into account: –Strethening of the legislative status as the international organizations; –Organization of the effective dispatching services of the WRMB on the base of modern telecommunication systems and systems of automated control of water.

Development of mutually acceptable mechanism on integrated use of water resources and environmental protection in Central Asia taking into account interests of all states in the region Reforming water resources management requires decision in the form of unified interstate system of water resources management in Central Asia with distiguishing three levels of water management: First level. Interstate management. On this level of the IWRM necessity of development of the following document: -Strategy of water resources use in Central Asia; -Program of food security in Central Asia; -Program of energy security in Central Asia; -Concept of environmental sustainability in Aral Sea Basin; Second level. Basin Interstate Management. The tasks are to develop interstate IWRM of the Amudarya and Syrdarya basins, to ensure transboundary monitoring system of water reources, and to establish unified information data base with the advanced networks of hydrometereological stations. Third level. National Basin Councils ensuring development of IWRM schemes in the national basin borders. Objectives 2

Development of the Aral Sea Basin Programme-3 (ASBP- 3) for the period of under the umbrella of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” (UN Program for ) Activities undertaken by the EC IFAS on implementation of this important task is oriented towards activites that have been planned: 1. Working groups according to the directions within the ASBP-3 are established. 2. Groups of independent experts representing potential donors to be involved in the components of the ASBP-3 are established. 3. To conduct first meeting of the Working group on development of the PASB-3 4. To conduct donors conference on furthering development of the ASBP-3 5. To submit draft of the Program for discussion and approval by the member states of the IFAS

Indicators of cooperation of the IFAS with the UN organizations 1. Development of a wide political and investment arena for the IFAS activities through: а) merging interests of the IFAS from one side and opportunities of the financial institutes (donors) from the other; b) exclusion of parallelism and duplication, better coordination of donors activities while investing programs and projects in the countries of the Region based on the “Equator principle” c) developing system of motivations and priorities for financing regional projects included in ASBP Development of mutually replaceable mechanisms for conflict resolution and compensation of economic loss in the result of violating rules on joint use of water resources. 3. Development of the cooperation mechanism with organizations of the UN system. 4. Providing methodological assistance for performance of duties related to receiving by the IFAS status of UN General Assembly observer. 5. Moving ahead idea of receiving UN General Assembly resolution on “About cooperation with the IFAS” (draft of the resolution is sent to the UN). 6. Involvement of the IFAS in the work of program coordinator for “UN-Water”