12 February 2014: The President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), John Ashe, has released the background note and programme for the Thematic Debate on ‘Water, Sanitation, and Sustainable Energy in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.’ The event will take place at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 18-19 February 2014.

The background paper discusses linkages between poverty eradication and global needs for water, sanitation and sustainable energy, while stressing the importance of universal access to these resources. It emphasizes the role of women and the young in providing these resources for their families, and advocates for their inclusion in considerations around the post-2015 development agenda.

The Thematic Debate will include three round-table discussions on: the water and sanitation challenge; the energy challenge; and the water-energy nexus. Suggested discussion questions address structuring these issues into development goals and targets, and successful means for increasing access to these resources in developed and developing countries. The debate is aimed at facilitating discussion on means of implementation and financing, increasing awareness, and overcoming challenges.

President Ashe will make a summary of the meeting available for the UNGA’s Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF). [UNGA President’s Letter] [Publication: Background Paper] [Concept Note] [Event Website] [Provisional Programme]