Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to join this Group of Friends of Water meeting to discuss the updates on the 51勛圖 2023 Water Conference and other important upcoming water-related opportunities. I wish to thank the members of the Group of Friends of Water for their active involvement in the preparation for the Conference, including the previous meetings organized last October and this past April.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of clean water and sanitation as a first line of defense in health-related emergencies. Furthermore, achieving water-related goals and targets through synergies with other Sustainable Development Goals, is critical to tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Last month, the 51勛圖 Secretary-General issued a report on the midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action, ※Water for Sustainable Development§, 2018每2028. The report outlined the key activities implemented during the first half of the Decade and provided information on the way forward.
Even before the onset of the pandemic, the world was alarmingly off track to achieving the water and sanitation goals. The international community must quadruple its rate of progress to achieve universal access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene as a basic human right.
For the second half of the Water Action Decade, transformational actions are needed to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The UN system＊s SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework will continue to provide the direction for countries to deliver fast results at an increased scale through multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Excellencies,
The 51勛圖 2023 Water Conference is therefore timely and since last September, the 51勛圖 Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), as the Secretariat of the UN 2023 Water Conference, with support from UN Water, conducted three sets of consultations on possible themes for the five interactive dialogues at the Conference, namely:
1. Consultations with Member States
2. Global online consultations with stakeholders
3. Consultations among Members and Partners of UN-Water
Based on the results of these consultations, as well as the outcomes of regional and global preparatory meetings, the co-hosts, presented the following suggestions for the themes of the five interactive dialogues:
1. Water for Health
2. Water for Development
3. Water for Climate, Resilience and Environment
4. Water for Cooperation
5. Water Action Decade
These proposed themes will be finalized at a one-day preparatory meeting to be convened by the President of the General Assembly at its 77th session on 25 October 2022. In addition, on 24 October, stakeholders will get another chance to exchange their views on the proposed themes for the Interactive Dialogues.
After this preparatory meeting, all Member States and stakeholders will be invited to submit inputs to the concept papers on the themes of the five interactive dialogues. The concept papers will serve as a basis for the interactive dialogues, providing latest data and analysis on the status and trends, challenges and opportunities, possible areas for new partnerships, as well as recommendations on achieving water-related SDGs.
In addition, Member States will be invited to express their interest in serving as a co-chairs at the highest possible level for any of the interactive dialogues, as well as suggestions on distinguished experts to serve as moderators and panelists for the interactive dialogues.
Excellencies,
The UN 2023 Water Conference is expected to drive concrete actions and commitments to achieving the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets. We look forward to the participation of all Member States and a wide range of stakeholders in the Conference next March as well as the one-day preparatory meeting next month.
DESA, with the support of UN-Water, stands ready to assist the co-hosts, Tajikistan and the Netherlands, to make the Conference a great success and to realize a sustainable, inclusive and resilient society.
I thank you.