Within the framework of the UNESCO Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data (FRIEND) programme, the FRIEND Intergroup Coordination Committee (FIGCC) held a meeting on 12 May 2020. The main objective of the meeting was to look into the past developments and the current activities of the programme, with a view to improve visibility as well as its scientific developments, but also to come up with a Strategy paper for future activities, especially in the face of COVID-19 and the changes it would provoke in international exchanges.
The meeting brought together a total of 21 participants, namely, the regional coordinators of the programme: AMIGO FRIEND (LAC Region), FRIEND AOC (Western and Central Africa), FRIEND ASIA PACIFIC, EURO FRIEND, MEDFRIEND, NILE FRIEND, FRIEND SADC and CONGO FRIEND as well as invited guests from the French Institut de Recherche et de Développement (IRD), the World Large Rivers Initiative (WLRI), the International Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management under the auspices of UNESCO (ICIWarm), the International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change under the auspices of UNESCO (ICWRGC), and UNESCO Staff. The meeting called for the need to better position the FRIEND programme within the framework of the Ninth Phase of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP-IX), and to increase collaboration with the UNESCO Water family. Also, the regional coordinators will work hand in hand to come up with a Strategy Paper for future FRIEND activities in spite of the postponement of several activities in 2020 are rescheduled to be held in 2021.