SIWI Seminar Series (1/3): The art of water diplomacy (2024)
The first session of the Art of Water Diplomacy series starts at the beginning: what is water diplomacy? Why is it needed? With an emphasis on not only building, but also institutionalizing and maintaining relations between states and non-state actors, water diplomacy is as much about the process as it is about results.
The session underscores the vital importance of water diplomacy in today’s geopolitical arena, and identifies the various challenges posed by transboundary water resources. It explores the goals of diplomatic efforts and how we might measure its success, while giving an overview of the varied skills, competencies, and actors involved.
After setting the scene and introducing water diplomacy, we will hear from a range of practitioners, with differing roles and fields of expertise, who will demonstrate the diverse mechanisms of water diplomacy and the interaction between them.
Key messages/themes for this session:
- Understanding the characteristics of water problems
- Defining water diplomacy
- Articulating the need for water diplomacy / why water diplomacy matters (preventing/solving conflicts; promoting trust and cooperation)
- Who conducts water diplomacy?
- What are the goals/outcomes of a diplomatic process – what does success look like?
- What are the skills needed?
The session was convened by: SIWI, IUCN, UNESCO, Finnish MFA and EcoPeace
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