Ottawa, 2 November 2026 – Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Canada Dauletbek Kussainov took part in the high-level roundtable “Water in a Changing World: Peace, Cooperation, Diplomacy and Canada’s Role in the Global Agenda”, held to mark the 30th anniversary of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). The event was organized by Global Affairs Canada and UNU-INWEH.
The roundtable brought together UN Under-Secretary-General and Rector of the United Nations University Tshilidzi Marwala, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada Wade Grant, UNU-INWEH Director Kaveh Madani, as well as heads of diplomatic missions, Canadian parliamentarians and representatives of organizations working in the fields of water resources and sustainable development.
During the discussion, participants exchanged views on the role of water diplomacy in ensuring peace and stability amid increasingly frequent water conflicts, as well as on the links between the water agenda and climate change adaptation, food security and migration. The leadership of the United Nations University presented a report declaring the onset of an era of “global water bankruptcy”, marked by the depletion of water resources and largely irreversible damage to ecosystems. Participants also discussed the agenda and expected outcomes of the UN Water Conference, to be held on 8-10 December 2026 in Abu Dhabi.
In his remarks, Ambassador Kussainov spoke about the water challenges facing Kazakhstan and the measures being taken to address them. He noted that in his recent State of the Nation Address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev included among the national priorities the completion of the National Water Resources Information System, which will cover more than 23,000 water bodies across the country. The Ambassador also highlighted Kazakhstan’s regional efforts as Chair of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, as well as its work to preserve the Caspian Sea.
The Ambassador paid particular attention to the President’s initiative to establish an International Water Organization under the auspices of the United Nations. He emphasized that the proposed organization is intended not to duplicate existing mechanisms, but to strengthen coordination among them. The Kazakh diplomat called on foreign partners, including Canada, with its vast water resources and advanced expertise in this field, to support the initiative.
The event demonstrated the growing attention of the international community to global water governance and reaffirmed the relevance of Kazakhstan’s initiative.
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