30 May 2017: UN Member States took part in two ‘Working-Level Water Dialogues’ to discuss how to better coordinate and promote the UN’s work on water-related goals, in the lead-up to the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development. The dialogues took place at UN Headquarters in New York, US on World Water Day, 22 March, and on 30 May. Speakers discussed challenges of wastewater management, sustainable use, and possible institutional changes to address the fragmented approach to water issues in the UN system.

The two dialogues were mandated by UN General Assembly resolution 71/222 of 21 December 2016, titled ‘International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028.’ Katalin Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary, and Lukmon Isomatov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tajikistan, served as co-moderators.

The first dialogue included two panel discussions on: implementation of the water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and the role of the UN system. Speakers included: Sanjaasuren Oyuun, Chair, Global Water Partnership; Bai-Mass Taal, former Executive Secretary, African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW); Cecilia Scharp, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Lesha Witmert, Women for Water Partnership; Roberto Lenton, University of Nebraska; and Zafar Adeel, Pacific Water Research Centre.

Participants expressed concern about the prospect of water scarcity in the future, and the fact that most of the world’s wastewater is still discharged untreated, posing a threat to human health. They called for policy coherence between local, national and regional water management approaches, and for capacity development to be provided for governments and regional organizations. They also discussed whether new institutions are needed, with some expressing reservations about whether the UN system is “up to the task.” Some delegates called for a detailed review of the UN system’s efforts on water to identify gaps, duplication and challenges to cooperation. While praising the work of UN-Water, some delegates found it “insufficient to meet current needs.” Some called for a dedicated intergovernmental platform on water, ‘World Water Roadmap’ and ‘World Water Fund’ to be established; others argued for improving the efficiency of coordination among existing arrangements.

At the second dialogue, the co-moderators’ summary of the first dialogue was discussed. The Permanent Representative of Jordan highlighted that water scarcity in her country had been exacerbated by the large influx of refugees in recent years.

The Co-Chairs released a final summary of both dialogues on 3 August 2017. In addition to the above points, the summary noted delegates’ calls to: ensure greater integration of water-related goals and targets into the broader HLPF framework; use the National Voluntary Reviews within the HLPF to ensure that countries address water challenges; and invite the UN Regional Economic Commissions to host discussions to share good practices on water resource management. [Summary of First Working-Level Water Dialogue] [Summary of the Dialogues, 3 August 2017] [IISD RS Sources]