| Issue 09. 12 July 2013 | www.un.org/waterforlifedecade |
| This week in focus | Editor’s note
Welcome to the Decade’s Weekly! Every week it brings you the latest news from the International Decade for Action ’Water for Life’ 2005-2015. Please feel free to forward this newsletter. You can also access this newsletter online. Tip of the week
>> Submit your application to the ’Water for Life’ UN-Water Best Practices Award The application period runs until 15 September 2013 and the focus of this edition is on water and energy. |
| #WaterCooperation High-Level Conference on Water Cooperation
Date: 20-21 August 2013 The main objective of this Conference is to contribute to the improvement of water cooperation, in particular at transboundary level, by promoting successful policies, best practices and wider public participation, and encouraging policy makers to promote water cooperation at all levels in order to achieve internationally agreed goals on water. The conference will also provide an opportunity to discuss and develop new measures aimed at accelerating efforts towards the MDGs and recommendations for further action after 2015. The conference will address the main following themes: Water cooperation for human development; Water cooperation for economic benefits; Water cooperation for ecosystems; Water cooperation across boundaries; and a series of cross-cutting issues, including: Water cooperation and gender; Water cooperation and capacity-building; Water cooperation and sectoral synergies; Triggers and catalysts to water cooperation. |
| In the news | Forthcoming events |
|
#Urbanization
New strategies needed as rapid urbanization threatens sustainable development - UN report
Without fresh ideas to address rapid urbanization, the number of people living in slums lacking access to basic infrastructure and services such as sanitation, electricity, and health care may skyrocket from one billion at present to three billion by 2050, the United Nations reports. That wake up call is one of several alarm bells sounded in the UN World Economic and Social Survey 2013, which was launched on 2 July in Geneva and which focuses this year on sustainable development and the challenges facing its economic, social and environmental dimensions. >> More info
>> Access the report On 9 July the General Assembly established a new High-level Political Forum, which will replace the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, to boost efforts to tackle global economic, social and environmental challenges. The new body is tasked with providing political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development; reviewing progress in the implementation of related commitments; and enhancing integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. #UNWaterCountryBriefs UN-Water Country Briefs now available online!The UN-Water Country Briefs present in a visual way the critical importance of water investments for human and economic development, with the intention to foster stronger interventions on water-related issues by policy makers dealing with peace and security, infrastructure investments, agricultural, health, education and environmental issues, as well as macro- and micro-economic perspectives. The briefs provide information on total water withdrawal by sector; water-related investment; the impact for development of irrigated agriculture, hydropower, water use in industry, the state of the environment, the situation of drinking water supply and sanitation, water-related disasters; and the water governance framework, among others. The country briefs produced to date present the situation in 13 countries, including: Bangladesh, Chile, the Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Mongolia, Oman, Philippines, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia. #Desertification Participate in the UNCCD photo contest!The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) photo contest looks for pictures that communicate powerfully about the problems and solutions to land degradation. The goal is to show the changing relations between people and their land and soil; raise public awareness about the different sides of desertification, land degradation and drought, encourage the public and policy-makers to act, especially promoting sustainable land use practices; and to show the benefits of managing lands and soils properly. Participate! The application period is open until 25 July 2013. #Experts Call for experts for WHO’s activities on water quality and healthThe World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to provide input into guideline revision, evidence review and development of derivative documents for the WHO guidelines on drinking-water, wastewater and recreational water. Experts are invited to submit their expression of interest by 9 August 2013. |
#Water&Business
Corporate Water Stewardship and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda
Date: 19 September 2013 Time: 9:00 a.m. This side event, which will coincide with the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit on September 19-20, will advance the CEO Water Mandate’s ongoing discussions regarding water and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda. This session will further explore and unpack the prospective role of business in advancing potential policy objectives relating to increased access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services; improved water resources management and governance; efficient water use; and pollution reduction. #WorldWaterWeek UN-Water agenda at World Water Week
Date: 1-6 September 2013
This year the World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, will address the theme "Water Cooperation - Building Partnerships" in reflection of World Water Day and the International Year of Water Cooperation. UN-Water will jointly organize and contribute to a series of seminars and events and will also expect you throughout the week at the UN-Water Pavilion in the exhibition area. Some of the events organized include: Monday 2 September
Tuesday 3 September Wednesday 4 September Thursday 5 September
From the Decade’s Programmes
#Water&Media
Summary of the debate at 6th Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum
The summary of the debate of session ’Water in a Changing World of Growth Opportunities’, organized by UNW-DPAC at 6th Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum, is now available online. >> Summary of session Latest videos
• Nigeria: Sanitation |
- Sustainable Development Goals e-Inventory (SDG e-Inventory)
The Sustainable Development Goals e-Inventory is an initiative developed by the Stakeholder Forum. The SDG e-Inventory aims to provide all stakeholders with a means of inputting into the intergovernmental process on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as help stakeholders become better informed about the wide range of proposals that currently exist for global goals.
Contact: http://www.sdgseinventory.org/contactus.php
- Les bleus de l’eau
Art continuel is a group of multidisciplinary women artists who organize art exhibition on topics related to United Nations’ concerns, such as peace, poverty and tolerance. For the Water Decade, a group of artists composed a set of paintings related to water "Les bleus de l’eau" which will be exhibited from July 2013 until the end of 2015 in different exhibition halls in Quebec, Canada.
Contact: a.dederichs@gmail.com , thereselacasse@sympatico.ca
- Women for Water Partnership (WfWP)
Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) is a global alliance of women’s civil society organisations and networks that have the joint objective of contributing to universal access to water and adequate sanitation by using women’s collective strengths and social capital. Women’s groups at all levels and from different sectors in society are reinforced and enabled to develop and monitor projects, influence policies and take part in decision making at different levels. WfWP has joined the joined the ’Water for Life’ Decade by promoting it through their website and relevant publications.
Contact: http://www.womenforwater.org/openbaar/index.php