By-law of the Secretariat of ICWC
1. The Secretariat of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia (hereinafter referred to as the “Secretariat”), established pursuant to the decision of the ICWC of 10 October 1993, shall serve as the permanent executive and administrative body of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia (ICWC).
2. The Secretariat shall ensure the support of the ICWC activities.
3. In the performance of its functions, the Secretariat shall be guided by the Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan on cooperation in the field of joint management, use and protection of water resources of interstate sources.
4. The Secretariat shall possess legal personality and shall enjoy the status of an international organization.
5. Members of the Secretariat staff (with the exception of technical and support personnel) shall have the status of international civil servants.
6. The seat of the Secretariat shall be located in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan.
2. MANDATE AND FUNCTIONS
7. The Secretariat shall carry out the following principal activities:
• develop, in cooperation with ICWC member States and its executive bodies, proposals and draft documents aimed at strengthening cooperation in the water sector, and submit such documents to the ICWC for consideration within its mandate;
• assist ICWC member States in the development and implementation of programmes and projects related to water use and protection;
• prepare proposals on matters relating to the mutually beneficial use and protection of water of interstate sources;
• promote and facilitate joint research and development activities in the water sector;
• cooperate with international organizations and associations and participate in relevant international events;
• disseminate information on the activities of the ICWC through appropriate media channels.
8. To implement its mandate, the Secretariat shall:
• prepare draft agendas for meetings of the ICWC;
• analyze the implementation of ICWC decisions and inform member States accordingly;
• maintain regular interaction with the executive bodies of the ICWC;
• organize activities of the ICWC;
• prepare analytical, reference and other documentation for ICWC deliberations;
• circulate, in accordance with established procedures, draft agendas and documentation for upcoming ICWC meetings, including proposals on additional matters for inclusion into agendas submitted by member States and executive bodies;
• ensure the timely distribution of documents adopted within the ICWC to member States;
• develop information and analytical databases on cooperation within the ICWC framework;
• maintain records of ICWC documents and administer the archives;
• prepare official minutes of ICWC meetings;
• undertake financial, administrative and operational activities necessary for the discharge of its functions.
3. COMPOSITION OF THE SECRETARIAT
9. The Secretariat shall be composed of a Director, two Chief Specialists, two Specialists and a Chief Accountant. Support staff may be engaged as necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the Secretariat.
10. The Director of the Secretariat shall be nominated by the ICWC member State on whose territory the Secretariat is located and shall be appointed by decision of the ICWC.
11. The Director shall:
• govern the activities of the Secretariat and be accountable for the implementation of its mandate;
• organize the preparation and conduct of ICWC meetings;
• submit draft documents for consideration by the ICWC;
• inform ICWC member States on the implementation of decisions adopted within the ICWC framework;
• maintain and develop cooperation with international organizations at the level of their respective working and executive bodies, within his or her authority;
• facilitate coordination among the executive bodies of the ICWC;
• issue administrative instructions within his or her competence;
• communicate relevant information to ICWC members and heads of executive bodies and submit proposals for their consideration;
• engage external experts and consultants, as necessary, for the performance of specialized tasks;
• perform such other functions as may be assigned by the ICWC.
12. Other staff members of the Secretariat shall be appointed by the Director on a competitive basis, in accordance with the procedures established in the host country.
13. The Director shall conclude employment contracts with the staff of the Secretariat.
14. The conclusion, amendment, extension and termination of employment contracts shall be governed by the legislation of the host country.
4. FINAL PROVISIONS
15. Activities of the Secretariat shall be financed from the budget of the ICWC member State hosting the Secretariat.
16. The Secretariat may mobilize additional financial resources from development partners, international organizations and donors for the implementation of its mandate.
17. The Secretariat shall report on its activities to the ICWC. All official documentation of the Secretariat prepared for the ICWC shall be in the Russian language.
18. The present Regulations shall enter into force upon their signature.
19. Amendments to the present Regulations, as well as the termination of the activities of the Secretariat, shall be effected upon a duly recorded decision of the ICWC member States.
20. The liquidation or reorganization of the Secretariat shall be carried out in accordance with the legislation of the host country.
21. The present Regulations were adopted by decision of the ICWC at its meeting held in Dushanbe on 20 February 2026, in five originals in the Russian language.
