On March 22nd, 2024 from 11:00 am to 7:30 pm at UNESCO HQ in Room IX and Room I; will be held a conference entitled ''Building Peace through Water Cooperation'. Under the World Water Day 2024 theme “Water for Peace”, this campaign, led jointly by UNESCO and UNECE on behalf of UN-Water, showcases water's pivotal role in fostering peace, prosperity, and conflict prevention. Join us at UNESCO Headquarters for the official World Water Day 2024 celebration. This pivotal event promises a rich one-day programme filled with insights from distinguished speakers, including heads of UN agencies and high-level officials, alongside technical presentations that draw on field experiences. The day will also be enlivened by artistic and cultural activities that echo the theme. A highlight of the celebration will be the unveiling of the United Nations World Water Development Report 2024.

1. World Water Day 2024 Celebration: Water for Peace
22 March 2024 – UNESCO HQ
Room IX: Warm-Up Event [EN-FR-SP interpretation]
Timing Event Description
11 a.m. –
12 p.m.
Transboundary
Cooperation in
the Guarani
Aquifer System
The session highlights the technical cooperative framework
established for the management of the Guarani Transboundary
Aquifer System in South America
Room I: High Level Event [EN-FR interpreta�on]
Timing Event Description
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.: High Level Opening Ceremony
1.00 p.m. –
1:05 p.m.
VIDEO: The Water Rooms: War or Peace? (by Studio Bozzetto – WWAP)
1:05 p.m. –
1:15 p.m.
Art Performance:
The Bucha Phaya
Nāga dance
(Thailand)
The dance represents prayers and offerings to Phaya Nāga, revered
as the guardian of water bodies like the Mekong River. Nāga, a
snake-like dragon, symbolizes peace and prosperity by influencing
rainfall. The dance honours Nāga in traditional ceremonies, with a
chosen woman offering prayers through dance for blessings and
protection.
1:15 p.m. –
1:50 p.m.
High level
opening and
launch of the
United Nations
World Water
Development
Report 2024
Names are listed in the
order of Protocol
Master of Ceremony: Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General for
Natural Sciences, UNESCO
• Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly (Video
Message)
• Xing Qu, Deputy Director-General, UNESCO
• Álvaro Lario, UN-Water Chair, President of IFAD (Video
Message)
• Tatiana Molcean, Under-Secretary-General of the United
Nations, Executive Secretary, UNECE (via Zoom)
• H.E. Mr Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and
Irrigation, Egypt
• Mohamed Abdel Vetah, High Commissioner, Senegal River
Development Organization (OMVS)
• Barbara Pompili, Special Envoy to the French President for the
One Water Summit
• Hindou Ibrahim, Coordinator, Indigenous Women and Peoples
Association of Chad and Co-chair of International Indigenous
Peoples Forum on Climate Change
• Liborio Stellino, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Italy to
UNESCO
1:50 p.m. –
2:00 p.m.
Presentation of
the Report
Michela Miletto, Coordinator, World Water Assessment Programme,
UNESCO
2:00 p.m. –
3:00 p.m.
Voices on water
for prosperity,
peace and
cooperation
Names are listed in the
order of Protocol
• H.E. Mr Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Tajikistan (Video Message)
• Gerardo Amarilla, Vice-Minister of Environment, Uruguay
• Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director for the Water Global Practice,
the World Bank
• Mohamad Oemar, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of
Indonesia to UNESCO
• Blanca Jimenez-Cisneros, Ambassador of Mexico to France

2. • Monique Van Daalen, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands to UNESCO
• Simon Zbinden, Head, Global Water Programme, Swiss Agency
for Development and Cooperation
• Éric Tardieu, Vice-President, World Water Council
• Zulfiya Suleimenova, Advisor to the President - Special
Representative to the Kazakh President on International
Environmental Cooperation (Video Message)
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Coffee break / Walk of Water (WoW) 2024 photo exhibition+
3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Technical Sessions
3:30 p.m.–
3:45 p.m.
Walk of Water: Unveiling Hope - Water Photojournalism, OneWater - WWAP
Transboundary Waters: Building Peace through Cooperation
3:45 p.m. –
4:45 p.m.
Panel 1:
Water and Peace
from science,
youth and human
rights perspectives
Names are listed in
alphabe�cal order
Moderator: Sonja Koeppel, Secretary, Convention on the Protection
and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes,
UNECE
• Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human
rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
• Johannes Cullmann, Chief of Staff, Partnerships &
Networking, Federal Institute for Hydrology, Germany
• Michel Frem, Chair, Groundwater Youth Network
• Eddy Moors, Rector, IHE Delft
• Susanne Schmeier, GEF International Waters, Scientific and
Technical Advisory Committee and Astrid Hillers, Global
Environment Facility Secretariat
• Mark Zeitoun, Director General, Geneva Water Hub
4:45 p.m. –
5:45 p.m.
Panel 2:
Building bridges:
Stakeholder
Insights
The Panel will
share concrete
experiences on
how
transboundary
water cooperation
brings prosperity
and peace
Names are listed in
alphabe�cal order
Moderator: Konstantina Toli, IW:LEARN Project Coordinator,
IOC/UNESCO
• Alexandre Borde, Development and Environmental
Economist
• Luis Carlos Garcia, Director, La Plata Basin and River
Navigation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paraguay
• Laura Imburgia, Senior Specialist in water and gender
policies, UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme
• Eunice Antunes Kerexu, Guarani Leader, Brazil
• Gerta Lubojna, General Director, Water Resource
Management Agency, Albania,
• Deborah Mochotlhi, Deputy Director General, Water
Resources Management, South Africa
• Éric Tardieu, Secretary General, International Network of
Basin Organizations
5:45 p.m. –
5:55 p.m.
Artistic Interlude
MABArt: Water Education through Arts and Culture
• Lorenzo Micheli & Khadija Taufiq accompanying a delegation
of 30 students and teachers from Italian Schools
5:55 p.m. –
6:00 p.m.
Concluding
Remarks
Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences,
UNESCO
6:00 p.m. –
6:10 p.m.
Closure: Musical Performance “Jean Cras - String Trio”
Gloria Santarelli, violin; Chiara Mazzocchi, viola; Tommaso Castellano, cello
6:10 p.m. –
7:10 p.m.
Reception
+ Indoor exhibition by Arts Coalition for Water on 22 March 2024, Salle des Actes