Achieving clean water and sanitation worldwide

Context

The results of the United Nations (UN) 2023 Water Conference show that the global community must work more closely together to tackle the global water crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 of the 2030 Agenda - clean water and sanitation for all. This is an important prerequisite for tackling the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and the rise in pollution levels.

The countries must improve coordination and reaching a common approach on water issues jointly and at intergovernmental level, as well as give greater consideration to the interfaces between water and the environment, climate and biodiversity. This will require increased efforts in many developing countries and emerging economics as well as within the UN.

Objective

The UN, its member states and other key stakeholders implement the results of the 2023 Water Conference more quickly and in a more targeted manner, so that they can tackle the global water crisis, especially in developing countries and emerging economies.

Approach

The project strives to advance the global commitment to water action and interlinks it with related themes by providing policy advice and expanding cooperation with key players, for example within the UN system or with civil society groups. It develops technical and policy concepts and instruments to improve global governance on water issues, strengthen intergovernmental coordination and implement intersectoral approaches to water, climate and biodiversity.

The project also encourages the UN to better coordinate its water activities by implementing pilot measures of the UN Environment Programme and the UN-Water coordination mechanism. This aims to ensure greater global, national and regional coordination.

Last update: February 2024