IPU Science for Peace
Parliamentary Meeting
Water security and insecurity: Rebuilding peaceful coexistence with science
September 11-13, 2023

High-level opening session

Master of Ceremony:
Mr. Mokhtar Omar, Senior Adviser to the IPU Secretary General, Inter-Parliamentary Union

Opening speeches:
Mr. Nguyễn Đức Hải, Vice-President of the National Assembly of Viet Nam
Video message from Mr. Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General
Mr. Hồ Quốc Dũng, Secretary of the Binh Dinh Provincial Party Committee
Dr. Jean Trần Thanh Vân, Director of the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE)
Mr. Denis Naughten, Chair of the Working Group on Science and Technology
Video message from Mr. Rolf Heuer, Former Director-General of CERN, and President of the SESAME Council

Keynote Speaker:
Mr. Tatsujiro Suzuki, Member of the Council of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs

Group photograph of participants

Science and politics
Participants will be presented with an overview of what science can bring to politics through the application of scientific cooperation models, and how the neutrality of science can contribute to peaceful coexistence and peaceful solutions to conflict. Participants will be briefed on how science has historically been a platform for cooperation and collaboration despite conflict, transcending borders and political divides. The importance of allowing scientists of all origins to collaborate in science will be highlighted.

Moderator:
Mr. Maurizio Bona, Former Advisor to the Director General of CERN, Professor at University of Pavia, Italy

Speakers:

• Mr. Denis Naughten, Chair of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology (WGST)
• Mr. Hubert Julien-Laferriere, President of the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions (MEC)
• Mr. Carlos Álvarez Pereira, Vice-President of the Club of Rome, Founder of the Innaxis Foundation and Research Institute

Planet of water: Earth Observation Programmes as a tool to monitor water
Participants will be presented with an overview of how the Space Agencies' Earth Observation Programmes monitor water quality and quantity, and water distribution on planet Earth. Data provided by satellites must be transformed into adequate information to help understand threats to water security, whether from climate change or human pressures. Participants will be invited to reflect on how the availability of this data and information can meet the needs of their respective countries in terms of maintaining water security.

Moderator:
Mr. Denis Naughten, Chair of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology (WGST)

Speaker:

• Mr. Khaled Mashfiq, Programme Specialist and Regional Liaison, UNOSAT
• Ms. Linda Tomasini, Space Applications Expert, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Toulouse
• Ms. Thuy Le Toan, Earth Observation Senior Scientist, Centre D'Etudes Spatiales de la Biosphere, Toulouse

Workshop: Legislative best practices

Participants are requested to contribute to the workshop with their expert knowledge and experience.

Moderator:
Mr. Mokhtar Omar, Senior Adviser to the IPU Secretary General, IPU

Speakers:

• Parliamentarians from the Sahel and Middle East regions
• Ms. Samantha Murphy, Programme Manager Consultant, Innovation Cell, United Nations Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UNDPPA)
• Ms. Christine Ouedraogo Tapsoba, Chairperson of the Administrative Board, Gourma Water Agency
• Mr. Karim Abdel Razik, Director of Arab Parliamentary Diplomacy Center, Arab Parliament

Multilateral, regional and bilateral water diplomacy for transboundary water cooperation

Participants will be briefed on the state of international water law and water diplomacy in multilateral, regional, and bilateral water diplomacy. They will consider the importance of maintaining good transboundary water cooperation to ensure an equitable and efficient usage of these shared water resources in the interests of peaceful coexistence and sustainable development. They will also explore the gaps in United Nations strategies and resolutions and how to fill these gaps. They will reflect on how they can strengthen their country’s transboundary water cooperation.

Moderator:
Ms. Marine Hermes, Peace and Security Consultant, IPU

Speaker:

• H.E. Mr. Shawn Steil, Ambassador of Canada to Viet Nam
• Mr. Remy Kinna, Legal Officer, United Nations Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes Secretariat, UNECE

Human rights-based approach to water security and peace

Participants will get an overview of the state of water security and peace in the world, and the relationship between water security, and development. They will also be briefed on the content, core principles and application of a human rights-based approach to water and sanitation. They will consider the legal background underpinning this human right as well as the barriers in its realization. They will reflect on how these barriers can be overcome.

Speaker:

• Ms. Amanda Loeffen, Chief Executive Officer, Human Right 2 Water

Innovation in water technology for water security

Participants will be provided with an outline of the latest applied technology on water, including desalination, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and wastewater treatment. They will be invited to reflect on how these innovations can be harnessed and integrated into practical solutions to address water scarcity challenges and ensure sustainable water management for future generations.

Speaker:

• Mr. Florian Thevenon, Wastewater and water quality consultant, UN Habitat

Workshop: Legislative best practices

Participants are requested to contribute to the workshop with their expert knowledge and experience. They will continue their reflections from their workshop on Monday.

Experts will present participants with another case study on the Mekong region, focusing on the driver for transboundary conflict over water in the region, and on the Mekong River Commission.

The aim of the session is to assess via the case studies what has gone well and could be transposed into other contexts, but also what has gone wrong and how science could be used to approach the problem differently. Participants will then be invited to reflect on the best practices regarding legislation and funding on different topics (agriculture, environment, freshwater, transboundary water protection, sanitation, or access to water) to address the water security issue.

Speakers:Parliamentarians from the Mekong region

• Mr. Ross Smith, Director, Hydrobiology
• Mr. Trần Thuc, Chairman, Vietnam Association of Meteorology and Hydrology
• Mr. Châu Nguyễn Xuân Quang, Vice Director, Environment and Natural Resources Institute of the Vietnam National University HCM
• Mr. Nguyen Van Sanh, Professor, University of South Can Tho

Promoting water security through citizen science
Participants will be given an overview of the practice of citizen science and how the general public can contribute to scientific research. They will have the opportunity to explore how citizen science can be applied to projects to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 6.

Moderator:

• Ms. Tasnim Jberi, Science Consultant, IPU

Speaker:

• Ms. Amanda Loeffen, Chief Executive Officer, Human Right 2 Water
• Mr. Denis Naughten, Chair of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology (WGST)

Workshop: Parliamentary Network on Water

Based on the discussions they have had over the week, participants will be invited to consider the modalities for the establishment of a parliamentary network on water for institutional cooperation in water-related legislation.

Participants will reflect on the parliamentary tools; such as self-assessment tool kits for legislation on water, a data legislation bank, a charter on water security, and on the topics for a Parliamentary Conference on Water and Food Security, through the collaboration model provided by Science.

Moderator:
Mr. Mokhtar Omar, Senior Adviser to the IPU Secretary General, IPU.

Speaker:

• Mr. Colin Craig, Associate Legal Officer and SHERLOC expert on database of legislations, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
• Mr. Karim Abdel Razik, Director of Arab Parliamentary Diplomacy Center, Arab Parliament

Anticipatory science and science diplomacy + Questions

Participants will be provided with an overview of the concept of anticipatory science and how it can support legislators in their policymaking. They will discuss the benefits of strong science diplomacy and how to enhance science diplomacy for the benefit of all.

Speaker:
Ms. Marga Gual Soler, Head of Science Diplomacy Capacity Building, GESDA

Next steps, outcomes, and recommendations

Moderator:
Mr. Mokhtar Omar, Senior Adviser to the IPU Secretary General, IPU

Speakers:

• Mr. Denis Naughten, Chair of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology (WGST)
• Mr. Hubert Julien-Laferriere, President of the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions (MEC)
• Mr. Maurizio Bona, Former Advisor to the Director General of CERN, Professor at University of Pavia, Italy
• Live video message from Mr. Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General