Secretariat - Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities

The transboundary water management projects implemented by the OSCE, in co-operation with its field offices and other partners, can and have become catalysts for the development of co-operation in transboundary river basins.

Primarily, it is worth noting that there existed no comparable co-operative arrangements in Central Asia and the Chu-Talas project can therefore be seen as a nascent initiative in that direction. The establishment of the Commission in the Chu-Talas river basin further encouraged other international organizations (such as the EU and ADB) to provide assistance to the water authorities operating in the Chu and Talas basins.

The OSCE will work closely with its partners to support integrated water resource management principles in order to strengthen regional water policies. In particular, the co-operation with the water convention and the UNECE will continue and be strengthened, through continued support to the Chu and Talas commission as well as through projects in the ENVSEC Initiative.

The OSCE will continue to foster dialogue and co-operation on transboundary water management in all its regions. The projects will concentrate on support towards sound water management structures and capacity building to the water sector through:

• provision of training;
• information and knowledge exchange; and
• the introduction of innovative concepts and methodologies in new environments in transition to a market economy.