New York: High-Level Moroccan Parliamentary Delegation Takes Part in 2023 Annual Parliamentary Hearing on “Water for People and Planet: Stop the waste, change the game, invest in the future”
A high-level Moroccan parliamentary delegation is taking part in the 2023 Annual Parliamentary Hearing on “Water for People and Planet: Stop the waste, change the game, invest in the future,” organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in partnership with the United Nations on February 13-14, 2023, at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, United States of America.
The delegation comprises from the House of Representatives: Rep. Ahmed Touizi, the Chairperson of the Group of Authenticity and Modernity and Head of the delegation; Rep. Mustapha Reddad (Group the National Rally of Independents); Rep. Omar Hejira (Istiqlali Group of Unity and Egalitarianism); and Rep. Khaddouj Slassi (Socialist Group). The delegation also comprises some members of the House of Councilors, namely Cllr. Kamal Ait Mik (Group of the National Rally of Independents) and Cllr. Hassan Chamis (Group of Authenticity and Modernity).
The joint Hearing is part of the preparations for the UN Water Conference, which will take place on March 22-24, which is the first in 45 years. The Hearing constitutes an opportunity for governments, parliaments, and the international community to exchange views and identify the elements that can create a change in addressing the water crisis and creating a healthy environment based on sustainable development for the future generations. The Hearing is also an opportunity to exchange data and thoughts on the abilities, obstacles, and horizons of such a vital area, with a view to elaborating suggestions and recommendations that would help public affairs managers in finding adequate solutions to water scarcity and consider them when preparing for this historic Conference.
Over two days, the participants in this Parliamentary Hearing will discuss and exchange views and best practices on several timely issues, with the participation of experts and officials of the UN, diplomats, and revered researchers and academics specializing in water management. The themes that will be discussed include:
- SDG 6 as a linchpin of sustainable development,
- Access to safe water and sanitation as a human right,
- Climate change and water scarcity: Building resilience to avoid the worst,
- Unsustainable consumption and production patterns of water,
- Financing infrastructure for sanitation and water services,
- Inclusion of local communities, women, youth, indigenous people, and vulnerable groups in developing national water policies to achieve social equity and justice,
- The future of elaborating water policies in the world.
It should be noted that the Annual Parliamentary Hearing of the United Nations is organized in close cooperation with the various UN organs. Its importance resides in its contribution to the preparation of working papers on the questions under discussion and confirmation of the parliamentary aspect of said questions in order to assist parliamentarians in understanding decision-making processes within the United Nations better and provide their analyses to the UN member States on the basis of their national and local experiences.