MoWR, UN delegation discuss water resources sector in Iraq

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Minister of Water Resources, Muhanned al-Saedi, discussed with a delegation from the UN Development Program (UNDP) headed by Peter Bachelor, offering support and consultation for Iraq concerning forming the High Council for Water Resources and issuance of international laws to be binding on the riparian countries on the shared waters.

A statement by the Ministry mentioned that “The Minister praised the great efforts exerted by the UN to assist Iraqi authorities on all fields especially the waters sector,” confirming Iraq’s need to the “UN’s expertise and consultation in various domains most notably those related to the water resources and formation of a higher council for waters to assume the internal and external policies in managing the waters sector.”

“Iraq is seeking to join Helsinki Agreement to defend Iraq’s legal right in getting fair share of the common waters’ rivers,” Saedi added.

“For their part, the members of the UN’s delegation expressed full readiness to provide support for Iraq whether in developing the waters administration or obtaining an adequate portion of the Euphrates and Tigris’s waters,” according to the statement.