A Ministerial Commissioner to Coordinate Preparations for the 2013 Budapest World Water Summit

In October 2013, Hungary will host an international conference on water with the participation of UN member nations and institutions, and all related economic and social players (The Budapest World Water Summit). Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas has appointed Chief Advisor István Teplán Ministerial Commissioner to represent the Ministry in the preparation and organisation of the conference, and to serve as Vice-President of the Inter-ministerial Preparatory Committee.

The main coordinator of the conference is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Ministry of Rural Development is responsible for its professional preparation and organisation.

The fact that Hungary plans to host such a conference was announced by President of the Republic János Áder during the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro in June of 2012. The objective of the World Summit is to contribute to the elaboration of water-related sustainable development goals with regard to the most important water management issues, such as drinking water supply and waste water treatment, integrated water management, international water management cooperation and innovative water management technologies, and to designate a clear path for the determination of global development policy priorities after 2015.

The conference aims at providing help to both the developing and developed world through the presentation of available and tested practical solutions for the management of their water-related challenges. The scientific, business, civil and youth forum organised parallel to the World Summit provides an opportunity to present Hungarian economic, university and research results and for the widening of the international relations of the Hungarian water management sector.

Water is on of the planet's most valuable natural resources. Only 2% of the Earth's water stocks are fresh water. Yet this rare natural resource is of determinative importance to every segment of biological, social and economic life. As a result of growing public demand and climate change, competing water requirements are expected to result in a 40% level of scarcity in the global water supply by 2030. This process will affect both Europe and Hungary: access to water will increasingly become a fundamental issue for prosperity and peace at both an individual and national level.

Hungary remains a country with internationally acknowledged water management expertise, experience and infrastructure. Hungary has been handling the issue of water as a priority within both bilateral and multilateral international relations for decades. While relying on the Hungarian interests and expert knowledge that has been traditionally present in water policy, Hungary wished to continue its accentuated international role in leading the way forward with regard to water policy.