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In Pursuit of Agency: New Mechanisms of Water Diplomacy

THE PANEL RECOMMENDS THE PANEL RECOMMENDS

We recommend the establishment of the Global Observatory for Water and Peace, an international facility of
hydro-diplomacy with the aim of facilitating, promoting and energizing diplomatic efforts to leverage water
for comprehensive peace.

The Global Observatory for Water and Peace should focus specifically on facilitating cooperation in situations
of potential tension in order to preempt its escalation through joint vision development, confidence building,
and opening ways to its peaceful adjustment. In the implementation of its mandate, the Observatory would
cooperate closely with regional multilateral water centers and other relevant organizations.

The Observatory should play an advisory role and should catalyze the understanding of the political importance
of water cooperation. It should also facilitate, as necessary, the possibilities for fact finding and good offices,
while the established mechanisms for the settlement of international disputes will be available to States that
ultimately make the relevant choices.

The Observatory would participate in efforts to create “safe spaces” for financing of transboundary water
projects by promoting early consultations among the relevant stakeholders with the aim of addressing design
and implementation issues of such projects in a proactive way and by helping to generate innovative ideas,
confidence and a joint vision of transboundary water cooperation.

The Co-Convening Countries of the Panel and other like-minded countries are invited to consider initiating
the establishment of the Global Observatory for Water and Peace, after having studied the present report and
having defined specific niches for its activities.

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