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Building on past cooperation in strengthening parliamentary capacities worldwide, in February 2004 the IPU and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Under this agreement, the two organizations would conduct a programme involving a series of awareness seminars for parliamentarians at regional and national levels on environmental management and sustainable development. It was envisaged that at the end of the exercise, a handbook would be prepared on the same topic.
An inaugural seminar marking the beginning of the programme was held in late April 2005. The proceedings identified priorities that should be the focus of future capacity-building activities undertaken by the IPU and UNITAR, including the organization of regional and national seminars.
In response to the interest displayed by parliaments in the Arab region, the IPU and UNITAR, in cooperation with the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU), organized the first regional seminar, in the Arab region. The Lebanese parliament kindly agreed to host this meeting, which took place on 29 and 30 November 2005. It focused on water management as an essential factor in achieving sustainable development in the Arab region. The overall objective of the seminar was to contribute to a better sensitization of members and staff on this topic, a shared and sensitive issue. It would contribute to enhancing awareness in the targeted parliaments of international environmental policy and legislation.
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DOCUMENTS
RELATED SITES
| Updated on the 23 November 2005 |
| PROGRAMME |
| TUESDAY 29 November |
| 8.30 - 9.30 a.m. | Registration |
| 9.30 - 10.30 a.m. | Plenary 1
Opening addresses
- Mr. Nabih Berri, President of the National Assembly of Lebanon
- Dr. Marcel Boisard, Executive Director of UNITAR, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN
- Mr. Martin Chungong, Director, Division for the Promotion of Democracy of the IPU
- Mr. Nour Eddine Bouchkouj, Secretary General of Arab IPU
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| 10.30 - 11.15 a.m. | Plenary 2
Chair: Dr. Marcel Boisard, Executive Director of UNITAR, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN
Overview of the global water policy issues
- Dr. Mounir El Khatib, President of Khatib & Alami
- Overview of seminar goals and methodology, by Dr. Philippe Roch, former Director of the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape
- Presentation on global water issues, the water cycle by Dr. Philippe Roch, former Director of the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape
- Facilitated discussion
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| 11.15 - 11.30 a.m. | Coffee break |
| 11.30 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Plenary 3
Chair: Dr. Philippe Roch, former Director of the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape
Global and regional experiences with water
- Presentation on challenges related to global and regional water Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), by Dr. Philippe Roch, former Director of the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape
- Presentation on the challenges of the Arab region in implementing the water- related MDGs, by Dr. Hosny Khordagui, Head Environment and Water Team, UNESCWA
- Presentation on regional regimes: the MedWet Initiative and the European Union's Water Framework Directive, Mr. Spyros Kouvelis, MedWest Coordinator, Ramsar Convention
- Facilitated discussion on implementation experiences
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| 1 - 3 p.m. | Lunch hosted by Lebanese Parliament
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| 3 - 4.30 p.m. | Drafting exercise 1
Group 1: Mr. Spyros Kouvelis, MedWest Coordinator, Ramsar Convention
Group 2: Dr. Hosny Khordagui, Head Environment and Water Team, UNESCWA
Regional water framework
- Overview of objectives and methodology of drafting exercises
- Execution of drafting exercise
- Presentation of drafting exercise results
- Collective review of drafting exercise
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| 4.30 - 4.45 p.m. | Coffee break |
| 4.45 - 6 p.m. | Plenary 4
Water and cross-cutting issues: integrated water resource management, presented by Dr. Philippe Roch, former Director of the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape
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| WEDNESDAY 30 November |
| 8.30 - 10 a.m. | Plenary 5
Chair: Dr Adel Aboujaoude, Khatib & Alami
The national experience in implementing MDG water goals
- Presentation by Mr. Nasser Nasrallah, Deputy, National Assembly of the
Lebanon
- Presentation by a Parliamentarian from another region (to be determined)
- The role of the private sector in water-related MDGs, and the importance of partnerships, by Dr Najib Khatib, Khatib & Alami, Consolidated Engineering Company
- The role the private sector in sustainable development, Alain Coine, Vice-President, Rhodia Group
- Facilitated discussion on national experiences
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| 10 - 11.30 a.m. | Drafting Exercise 2
Group 1: Dr. Nadim Farajalla, Assistant Professor, American University of Beirut
Group 2: Dr. Adel Aboujaoude, Khatib & Alami
National strategy on water-related MDGs
- Overview of drafting exercises objectives and methodology
- Execution of drafting exercise
- Presentation of drafting exercise results
- Collective review of drafting exercise
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| 11.30 a.m. - 1.30 p.m. | Lunch hosted by President and CEO of Khatib & Alami |
| 1.30 - 2.30 p.m. | Plenary 6
Chair: Mr Martin Chungong, Director, Division for the promotion of Democracy. IPU
Anatomy of a water bill
- Presentation by a Parliamentarian of the Arab region on the process and substantive challenges in water-related law making
- Faciliated discussion
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| 2.30 - 4.30 p.m. | Drafting Exercise 3
Group 1: Mr. Nasser Nasrallah, Deputy, National Assembly of the Lebanon
Group 2: Dr. Nadim Farajalla, Assistant Professor, American University of Beirut
National water bill
- Overview of drafting exercises objectives and methodology
- Execution of drafting exercise
- Presentation of drafting exercise results
- Collective review of drafting exercise
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| 4.30 - 4.45 p.m. | Coffee break |
| 4.45 - 5.30 p.m. | Plenary 7
Chair: Dr. Philippe Roch, former Director of the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape
Evaluation of the parliamentary seminar on water
- Summary of key issues raised in plenary sessions, by the chair or parliamentarian
- Summary of results of drafting exercises, by Nasser Nasrallah, Deputy, National Assembly of the Lebanon
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