The Sub-Regional meeting of Eastern European countries (Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldova and Turkey) on “Education, Knowledge and Capacity Building in Water Issues” was held on the10th and 11th of October 2008 in Ukraine at the Kremenchug Tech University with 42 participants. The Meeting dealt with the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals within the Sub-region in terms of access to clean water, ensuring human rights for water and defining place of education, knowledge, youth and capacity building in the process.

This meeting was recognized as a preparatory event of Sub-region united Eastern European countries toward the 5th World Water Forum which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2009. The results of this meeting will contribute to the European Regional Process (ERP).

Participants of the Sub-regional meeting represented all stakeholders involved in the water sector and outside: governmental officials, public experts, scientists, university faculty, youth, NGOs including gender related and journalists.

During the first day of the meeting, some overviews regarding Global and European preparatory processes toward the 5th WWF were presented at the plenary session along with National Reports regarding Role of Education, Knowledge and Capacity Building for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals. On the second half of the first day, two thematic discussions were held: one about “Water Science and technology: appropriative and innovative solutions for the 21st Century to address the needs of the society”; and another one on “Implementing the right for water within Sub-Region: progress and threats”.

On the second day of the meeting participants discussed the question regarding “Cooperation and confrontation between Government and Public in achieving right for water”.

During the two-days meeting the draft Communiqué was circulated and discussed by participants. Necessary amendments were included. In the end, the document was endorsed by all 42 participants of the Sub-regional meeting.
After the meeting a field trip to the Preservation Park “Kremenchug Wetland” took place.

The final Communiqué can be downloaded here.

For more information on the event please get in contact with Dr. Valentina Pidlisnyuk.