The Ukrainian Presidency of the ICPDR

In January 2011, Ukraine took over the presidency of the ICPDR. In this article, President Mykola Melenevskyi gives an overview on his agenda and the key issues for his presidency.

President Mykola Melenevskyi is strongly motivated to use the Ukrainian presidency to tackle issues that are specifically relevant for Eastern European Member States of the ICPDR. This should be achieved by facilitating their capacity building measures and increased use of their expert participation in the implementation of projects required by the EU water framework directive, in particular the river water management plans.

Ukraine is a great European power. Parts of the Danube River Basin are an important share in her territory; Ukraine therefore plays a very active role in the ICPDR activities such as the development of the Danube River Basin Management Plan.

Now as Ukraine took over the presidency in the ICPDR, she spares no efforts to maintain and update strategic policies of the Commission related to the protection of water resources and sustainable water management. As the Danube Delta is of key importance for the riparian states, Ukraine took the initiative to launch an integrated Danube Delta River Basin Management Plan.

Noting that five ICPDR member-states are sharing the Tisza basin, Ukraine has highlighted the Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan and put forward the initiative to hold a ministerial conference of five Tisza countries in order to adopt the Plan and sign a Memorandum of Understanding.

Furthermore, activities concerning the Tisza and the Prut, two very important tributaries of the Danube, will be at the focus of the ICPDR’s activities for 2011.

Biography of the President

Mykola Melenevskyi is Ambassador at Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, his background lies in the field of international affairs: From 1971 to 1976, he studied at Kiev State University at the Department of International Law and International Relations.

He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the role of 3rd Secretary in 1981, but returned to the Academy of Sciences three years later, where he enrolled for post graduate studies in 1983.

Upon completion of his studies, Mr. Melenevskyi worked at the Kyiv City Trade Union council for six years until 1992, after which he returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There he served at the Embassy of Ukraine in Greece and later became head of the human rights division in the ministry’s United Nations Department.

An assignment to the OSCE Centre in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) followed, before he became deputy director of the United Nations Division within the UN department of the ministry in 2003. Three years later, Mr Melenevskyi was promoted to Deputy Director General for the Central European Initiative Executive Secretariat and became Ambassador at Large in 2010. Mr. Melenevskyi speaks six languages.

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