Coordination meeting (14.09.2023)
14 September 2023
Regular Meeting of the Sector Working Group on Water Resources, Water Supply and Sanitation Held
On 14 September 2023, a meeting of the Sector Working Group on Water Resources, Water Supply and Sanitation was held in the conference hall of the Ministry of Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The meeting brought together representatives of all relevant ministries and government agencies, as well as international development partners.
The meeting was led by Uzbekistan’s key national partners—the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services—as well as representatives of the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation in Uzbekistan. For several years, the Embassy, as a development partner, has contributed effectively to coordinating water sector reforms in the country through various cooperation mechanisms.
The Secretariat of the Sector Working Group, represented by the Information, Analytical and Resource Centre and the Embassy of Switzerland, presented a progress report on activities undertaken since the previous meeting. In particular, participants were presented with an overview of the project matrix.
The Ministry of Water Resources updated the working group members on the progress made in drafting the Water Code. Its presentation on the achievements and challenges related to implementing the current water sector strategy, as well as ongoing investment projects, generated considerable interest among participants.
Representatives of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services provided information on the progress made and challenges encountered in developing Uzbekistan’s water supply and sanitation strategy.
The technical working groups also presented updates on:
- gender mainstreaming;
- energy efficiency, public-private partnerships and tariffs;
- sanitation.
Following the question-and-answer session, Rachel Boesch, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Uzbekistan, concluded the meeting and outlined the Sector Working Group’s next steps. In particular, participants discussed preparations for the Country Platform roundtable.