UNIS/OUS/432
28 February 2023
VIENNA, 28 February (UN Information Service) – Serbia is set to take over the Presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) on Tuesday, 28th February, and has announced its priorities for the upcoming term. Incoming President Vedrana Ilić who is Serbia’s Assistant Minister responsible for international relations at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, presented Serbia’s goals for its tenure, during an online ceremony.
The incoming President announced that the Serbian Presidency will be placing priority on water scarcity and droughts, groundwater, as well as improving data technology and communications.
Held again as a hybrid meeting in Vienna, the Presidency handover event saw representatives from the Serbian and Romanian missions in Austria participating in the ceremony who met to exchange a bottle of Danube water on behalf of the respective incoming and outgoing Presidents, as is the ICPDR’s tradition.
Passed over at every ICPDR presidency handover ceremony since the mid-90s, the bottle symbolizes the ways in which ICPDR Presidents hold the future of the basin’s waters in their hands. The traditional exchange was conducted by proxy between Ambassador Stelian Stoian, from the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations, the Organization for the Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and Other International Organizations in Vienna, andAmbassador Žarko Obradović, from the Permanent Mission of Serbia to the United Nations, the Organization for the Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and Other International Organizations in Vienna. First Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Serbia to the International Organisations in Vienna Bojana Sećerov was present during the symbolic handover.
Attending remotely, incoming President Vedrana Ilić said: "I am honoured to take on the challenges of the ICPDR Presidency in 2023 at the start of another crucial six-year management cycle. With the world in a period of transition, and with climate challenges and looming droughts in our basin, this is an exciting time to step into this important post. As a country that includes two major Danube tributaries, the Sava and the Tisza, Serbia holds a critical position in our work. I see this presidency as a significant opportunity to make a positive impact at a pivotal moment."
Specific priorities of the incoming Serbian Presidency include:
The work of outgoing President Robert Eugen Szép of Romania, was acknowledged at the event, recognizing a successful tenure as ICPDR President during a key period that saw the finalization of the two management plans and the endorsement of the Danube Declaration 2022. Mr. Szép, attending remotely, wished his successor the best of luck and expressed his deepest gratitude to his team and colleagues across ICPDR for their hard work during 2022.
The event was live-streamed on YouTube and can be seen here: https://youtu.be/y2aucmGBoJY.
* *** *
For further information, please contact:
Hélène Masliah-Gilkarov
Public Participation and Communication
ICPDR Secretariat at UNOV
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-4373
Mobile: (+43 676) 845 200 220
Email: helene.masliah-gilkarov[at]icpdr.org
Web: www.icpdr.org
Transnational organized crime in the Sahel represents a major obstacle to peace and security, human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, Impact of Transnational Organized Crime on Stability and Development in the Sahel.
The biggest street art in Vienna has been inaugurated today at a special ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in the city, with representatives of Host Country, City of Vienna, 22nd municipal district, the United Nations and the Calle Libre Street Art Festival as well as the artist himself, Fintan Magee.
Marking its 20th anniversary, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) invites the 79 million people living in the 14 Danube countries to take part in this year’s Danube Day celebration and outdoor events.
The UNCITRAL/UNIDROIT Model Law on Warehouse Receipts was adopted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) at its 57th session in New York.