Tunis: The strategic importance of strengthening the water sector Integrity in the Arab region was highlighted by participants of a regional conference organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Tunis on June 10-11, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries. The theme ''Water Sector Integrity in the Arab Region: Risks, Solutions and Stakeholder Roles" was picked for the conference . It brings together an anti-corruption agencies, financial and administrative control bodies from 10 Arab countries, in addition to leading experts from regional and international organisations, specialist research centres and civil society organisations. It offers the participating organisations the opportunity to share their expertise and experiences on best policies and practices that can contribute to enhancing transparency, accountability and the prevention of corruption in this crucial sector. Therefore, allowing them to play their role in achieving sustainable dev elopment. The conference also offers a specialised platform to deepen research on the different roles of stakeholders in this field and encourage their cooperation in the public and private sectors, with civil society, international financial institutions, development partners and the United Nations. Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries Abdelmomen Belati said "transparency, monitoring, oversight and , accountability are among the most important pillars of water sector governance." Belati also stressed that "the Department of Agriculture is working on integrating these fundamental principles into the mechanisms and procedures adopted to manage the water sector, in order to improve its performance and ensure its sustainability". The ministry, he added, also supports cooperation and partnership mechanisms with all stakeholders to contribute to building a resilient, sustainable and inclusive agriculture capable of ensuring food security for present and future generations. " UNDP representat ve in Tunisia Céline Moyroud, said "this conference will be the first in a series of regional conferences that the organisation will hold this year across the region to support Arab countries and strengthen integration between anti-corruption efforts and efforts to achieve sustainable development, through effective sectoral approaches with a tangible impact on the quality of public services and economic competitiveness." On the second day of the conference , a report on the management of corruption risks in the water sector in Tunisia will be released, focusing on two areas: financial benefits and licenses for groundwater research and exploration. This will be the first report of its kind to be developed on the water sector in the Arab region, using a specialized methodology developed by UNDP for this purpose. The conclusions of this report will serve as a basis to improvr water sector's governance systems in Tunisis in compliace with of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, thus strengthening t he efficiency and performance of the sector. The conference will also result in a series of regional recommendations to strengthen the integrity of the water sector and establish a common ground for reinforcing bilateral and multilateral cooperation programmes between Arab countries, UNDP and international partners. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse