The establishment of cooperation

The overall concept for enhanced cooperation among the Riparians for the management of the Basin was initially discussed by representatives of the competent ministries and other key stakeholders during the International Roundtable on Integrated Management of Shared Lake Basins in South-Eastern Europe, organized under the Petersberg Phase II/Athens Declaration Process[1] and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) IW:LEARN Programme, in Ohrid, on 12-14 October 2006.

Based on the conclusions of the Roundtable, and responding to the related expression of interest by stakeholders, the Albanian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Global Water Partnership Mediterranean (GWP-Med) organized the Consultation Meeting on Integrated Management of the extended Drin River Basin, with the financial support of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, on 24 November 2008, in Tirana.

The Partners to the Petersberg Phase II/Athens Declaration Process and UNECE were entrusted with the mandate to facilitate the development of a Shared Vision for the sustainable management of the Basin (Shared Vision).

The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) working in the framework of the Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process support the implementation of the Drin MoU. The UNECE Water Convention and the EU Water Framework Directive provide the legislative and policy framework.