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On December 13—14 the ICPDR convened the first Ordinary Meeting
involving the Ministers responsible for the management of the Danube waters.
This Ministerial Meeting is a milestone in the history of the ICPDR and
confirmed the commitment of the Danube countries to cooperate on water
resource management and to secure joint solutions for the international
problems of the Danube waters, such as pollution from agriculture and
hazardous substances. The Ministers and High Officials adopted the Danube
Declaration ‘Rivers — in the Heart of Europe’ which
also expresses appreciation to the various partners in this successful
process, such as to the UNDP/GEF and the NGO community. The Ministerial
Meeting acknowledged the achievements that have been made thus far, but
also underlined the concerns and challenges that still remain. The Ministers
noted in particular the need to reduce nutrient pollution loads originating
from municipal wastewater and agriculture further, and to reduce the threat
of hazardous substances including both heavy metals and pesticides. In
addition, the Ministers committed themselves to stopping and reversing
the changes to the natural quality of the river.
There can be no doubt that the meeting was a success – above all
through the expression of solidarity and strengthening of the will that
exists among all countries
to protect and restore the Danube River Basin.
This sense of solidarity and aspiration for the future was best expressed
through the participation of the winners of the Danube Art Masters School
Competition
2004 (see article on page 17).
The ICPDR has also been enriched through the full membership of Bosnia
and Herzegovina who finalised the ratification process of the Danube River
Protection Convention in December. This step makes the Danube Family complete,
and will be properly acknowledged in the upcoming issue of Danube Watch.
In addition, the ICPDR continued to be a forum for discussion on the
construction of the deep-water channel in the Danube Delta in Ukraine
(see also previous issues). I personally participated in the EU Mission
in October, which led to important commitments from Ukraine to carry out
proper environmental assessments and an open dialogue with the public
and international community before further steps of the project are undertaken.
Philip Weller
ICPDR Executive Secretary
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