News
In September, the High Level Group for Blue Peace in the Middle East, along with Members of Parliament and the Middle East Media Network embarked on a Rhine Learning Mission. Conducted over three days in Switzerland and Germany, the learning mission was a unique opportunity for participants of the Middle East to learn, first-hand, about water cooperation in the Rhine River Basin and draw on the best practices in joint management of trans-boundary water resources.
The learning mission was organized under the Blue Peace Middle East initiative and jointly hosted by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Strategic Foresight Group from September 25-27, 2013. The mission also benefited from a Strategic Foresight Group project on experience exchange supported by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Meetings and presentations were organized with representatives of the Swiss Parliament across parties, the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine, the International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin, the Germany Federal Institute of Hydrology and others. The delegation visited the Hydrological station Rhine-Rheinfelden and the International Monitoring and Alarm Station at Weil-Basel.
The Middle East delegation included Dr Yasar Yakis, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkey, Dr Mohamad Chatah, former Minister of Finance, Lebanon, and Dr Bakhtiar Amin, former Human Rights Minister, Iraq. Others included Mr Saban Disli, Member of Parliament, Turkey, Dr Bassem Shabb, Member of Parliament, Lebanon and Dr Maysoon Zoubi, former Secretary General, Ministry of Water Resources, Jordan, besides Members of Parliament from Jordan and Lebanon.
There was a diverse set of leading print and television media persons from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and pan Arab newspapers. The Middle East delegation was joined by representatives of the Swiss media during their field visits.
In a private meeting, Parliamentarians from the Middle East and members of the High Level Group engaged in a fruitful and interesting interaction with the Swiss Parliamentarians in Bern at the grand Parliament Building. The Swiss parliamentarians were represented by all the major parties in the country. Discussion centred on ideas for water and security and different possibilities for transboundary water cooperation with their Middle Eastern counterparts. The Middle East delegation was led by Dr Yasar Yakis, and the interaction was chaired by the Chairman of the Environment Committee.
The new Strategic Foresight Group report “Water Cooperation for a Secure World” was presented to the delegation which was followed by a brief discussion. The report examines transboundary water basins around the world and discusses the correlation between the lack of water cooperation and the increased risk of war.
The participants expressed support for various tracks that will lead to regional water cooperation and realized that the Middle East region falls at the bottom of the cooperation index as detailed in the new report. A greater understanding of best practices from around the world is required, which will begin with the Rhine Learning Mission. Various ideas were discussed with a plan outlined on parallel tracks involving the High Level Group and Blue Peace Core Group, the media network and the technical and scientific community.
During the course of the learning mission discussions between the Middle East delegation and the Rhine Basin representatives centred around the importance of political commitment and willingness at the highest level, and the need for time and patience, especially when the political climate might not be favourable. The delegation also realized that joint monitoring can be achieved in many different ways, and while it is not necessary to have the same monitoring equipment at different station, the exchange of data is very important.
The full report can be downloaded here:
