On March 20, 2024, the Primakov Centre took part in a teleconference of the round-table discussion of the UN Information Center in Moscow, which was dedicated to World Water Day.
The discussion was attended by representatives of UN agencies, Russian environmental scientists, our colleagues from the Russian State Library of the United Nations, as well as teachers and students of leading Russian universities such as MGIMO University, MSLU, HSE, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, RUDN, Higher School of Translation of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after Herzen, Irkutsk State University, Nizhny Novgorod State University, Ufa University of Science and Technology, Russian State University of Justice, Yekaterinburg University of the Humanities, as well as students of the Russian hospital schools “UchimZnaem”.
The moderator of the round-table discussion was Natalia Ryazanova, Head of the Laboratory of Geoecology and Sustainable Environmental Management of the Department of Integrated International Ecological Problems and Wildlife Management of MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
Opening the round-table discussion, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Chairman of the team of UN agencies in Russia, Director of the UN Information Center in Moscow, noted that World Water Day has been held annually on March 22, since 1993. This Day highlights the importance of fresh water.
Vladimir Moshkalo, Head of the Russian Representative Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in his speech revealed the topic: “UNEP at the UN Conference on Water Resources.” He stressed that the UN Conference on Water Resources, which will be held in New York on March 22-24 this year, is an environmental event on a global scale. The Conference is expected to adopt a Water Action Programme representing voluntary commitments by countries and stakeholders to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their water-related objectives.
Dr. Tatyana Kolpakova, Public Health Specialist, Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Russian Federation, spoke about WHO’s activities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal in the field of safe water supply.
Vladimir Mikheev, Press Secretary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Office for Communication with the Russian Federation, spoke on the topic: “FAO: scarcity and impoverishment of water resources”.
Natalia Ryazanova, Head of the Laboratory of Geoecology and Sustainable Environmental Management of the Department of Integrated International Ecological Problems and Wildlife Management of MGIMO-University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, outlined the National Water Agenda of the Russian Federation in her speech.
Tatiana Avgusmanova, Deputy General Director for Educational Projects and Programs, spoke on the topic: “V.I. Vernadsky and the concept of sustainable development. Vernadsky on water resources and the hydrosphere of the Earth”.
Irina Sakirko, Director of the Department of Funds and Services of the Khimki complex – Head of the Department of Dissertations of the RSL, told about information sources of the RSL Dissertations Fund on the topic “Ecology of water: issues of water supply and water use”.
Anastasia Tsvetkova, General Director of The Lake Baikal Foundation for Environmental Applications and Research titled her speech as follows: “To preserve water resources by combining the efforts of the state, business and civil society. Practices of the Lake Baikal Foundation”.
Polina Gruzdova, Ekaterina Ryutova, Ksenia Odinokova, 2nd year students of the Department of Environmental Management and Ecology of MGIMO University, gave a presentation on the topic: “International cooperation to prevent plastic pollution of the ocean.”
Source: UN Information Center in Moscow (https://www.unic.ru/activites/un-day-2022-online-roundtable /)