2018 - 2028Water is critical for sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger, and is indispensable for human development, health and wellbeing. Water-related challenges, including limited access to safe water and sanitation, increasing pressure on water resources and ecosystems, disasters and an exacerbated risk of droughts and floods, have received increasing attention in the global development arena. Water is at the heart of recent milestone agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, and the 2015 Paris Agreement. The World Economic Forum ranks the water crisis in the top 3 of global risks for the third consecutive year. Failing to respond effectively to these challenges will have devastating global effects.
To be successful, Member States and the United Nations (UN) system will need to respond in a coordinated and effective manner. In its resolution 71/222 ( further referred to as “Resolution”) the General Assembly proclaims the period from 2018 to 2028 the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development” (the “Decade”), to further improve cooperation, partnership and capacity development in response to the ambitious 2030 Agenda. Commencing on World Water Day, 22 March 2018, and concluding on World Water Day 2028, the Decade builds on the achievements of the previous “Water for Life” Decade, 2005-2015. The resolution states that the objectives of the Decade should be a greater focus on:
Source: United Nations Secretary-General’s Plan: Water Action Decade 2018-2028
On 20 December 2018 the General Assembly adopted the resolution on the “Midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028”. (A/RES/73/226).
The resolution calls for a Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action to be convened in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023.
The resolution decides that the Conference shall be preceded by regional and global preparatory meetings, as appropriate, and informed by existing water-related meetings at the regional and global level.
The President of the General Assembly was requested to hold a one-day high-level meeting in 2021 to help promote the implementation of the water-related Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda.
The resolution requests the Secretary-General to coordinate the preparatory process and to invite all relevant organizations of the United Nations system, including the regional commissions and other relevant organizations, within their respective mandates, to provide support to the review process.
The resolution decides that all costs relating to the 2023 Conference and its preparatory process shall be financed through voluntary contributions and to finalise the arrangements for the 2023 Conference during its seventy-fifth session.
As an initial activity for the preparatory process, UN-Water held in November 2019 a side event to provide an opportunity for stakeholders, specially UN Member States, to reflect on how to plan for the Conference and the preparatory process. A summary of the event including general principals and draft proposals for the events can be downloaded here.
The roadmap towards 2023 can be seen here.
