ILEC’s President and the Board Members had a meeting with H.E. Retno Marsudi, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Water, at the Mita Conference Hall in Tokyo on March 5th. This meeting was coordinated by Dr. Kenzo Hiroki (Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies), who also moderated the International Symposium on Water and Disasters for Cooperation and Partnership earlier that day.

During the meeting, President Takemoto introduced ILEC’s initiatives and future plans, emphasizing the need to strengthen collaboration with the Indonesian government, as well as seeking support and cooperation for the 20th World Lake Conference (WLC20) in July 2025 and World Lake Day on August 27.

In response, H.E. Marsudi emphasized the significance of international cooperation in addressing water issues, urging that World Lake Day should go beyond symbolism and drive concrete actions. She also highlighted the importance of government engagement in WLC20 and advised that scientific data is essential to demonstrate the critical role of lakes and water-related issues.

Following this meeting, ILEC reaffirmed its commitment to making full use of WLC20 and World Lake Day in 2025 as key platforms to advance international collaboration and real-world action.

Now is the time for global cooperation and action to secure the future of our lakes! Join us at WLC20!

Register now to secure your spot: https://www.wlc20.org/registration

Submit your abstract and showcase your work to a global audience: https://www.wlc20.org/abstracts

Visit the 20th World Lake Conference website for more details and deadlines: https://www.wlc20.org