1st Nexus Roundtable in the MENA and wider Mediterranean 26-28 November 2018, Beirut, Lebanon

The “1st Nexus Roundtable in the MENA and wider Mediterranean” will be held on 26-28 November 2018, in Beirut, Lebanon, at the Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace, under the auspices of the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water and in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the United Nations Environment Programme / Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP MAP).

The Roundtable is organised by the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med) within the framework of the “Making Water Cooperation Happen in the Mediterranean” (Water Matchmaker) Project supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and in synergy with the Global Environment Facility (GEF)/UNEP MAP MedProgramme and the work of the UfM Water Agenda’s Nexus Task Force.

The Roundtable is part of activities developed to facilitate Dialogue processes in the Region for the incorporation of Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems Nexus considerations in national and transboundary water resources management planning, including the link between the Nexus approach and vulnerable groups (women, youth, poor), and to enhance related capacities of MENA institutions and stakeholders.

The Roundtable will bring together for 3 days targeted stakeholders from national and regional institutions in MENA and the wider Mediterranean Region, involved in the sectors of water management, energy production, food & agriculture, and environmental protection, as well as financing institutions. The expected overall outcomes of this roundtable are:

  • to highlight and disseminate insights, best practices and lessons-learned on policy frameworks, institutional coordination and financing experiences with respect to the advancement of the Nexus approach,
  • to facilitate a dialogue process on and a deeper understanding of appropriate ways for streamlining integrated Nexus policies and measures,
  • to advocate among decision-makers to continue and enhance support to the advancement of Nexus approaches,
  • to contribute to the development of the UfM Water Agenda, in particular to its Nexus thematic component

Simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Arabic will be available throughout the Roundtable.

The Agenda of the Roundtable is available in English  and in French.

A closed meeting (by invitation only) on the GEF MedProgramme Child project 2.2 will be held in the afternoon of that day.