On 11 December in Vienna (Austria), a ceremony was held to officially transfer the chairmanship of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) from the Republic of Slovenia to Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation, led by Iryna Ovcharenko, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, took part in the 28th Meeting of Heads of Delegations and the handover ceremony.

Ukraine’s chairmanship will last for one year and marks the second time our country has led the ICPDR, following its first presidency in 2011.

“For Ukraine, this is more than a rotational chairmanship – it is recognition of our role in protecting transboundary waters and a responsibility to the entire Danube community. Our priorities include water security, environmental resilience, and joint work on addressing the consequences of russia’s war of aggression. We will continue to uphold the principles of the Danube Convention and strengthen cooperation among all Danube Basin countries,” noted Iryna Ovcharenko.

During its chairmanship, Ukraine will focus on three key priorities:

• strengthening water resources management in the context of climate change, with emphasis on floods, droughts and water resilience;

• assessing the environmental impacts of russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on the Danube, its delta and sub-basins;

• supporting the implementation of the updated Danube River Basin Management Plan for 2027 and deepening cooperation among basin countries.

Ukraine’s chairmanship highlights the growing role of our country in European water policy and supports deeper integration into the European environmental framework. The experience of Danube countries will help Ukraine align legislation and policies with EU standards, strengthen its position in EU accession negotiations, and draw international attention to the challenges and sustainable development of the Danube Basin.

For reference 

The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River was established under the 1994 Danube River Protection Convention. It includes 19 countries of the Danube Basin. The Commission coordinates issues related to water quality, basin management, monitoring, pollution control, climate adaptation and emergency prevention. The chairmanship rotates annually in alphabetical order of the countries’ English names.