| Issue 14. 4 October 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
>> Bimonthly publications review 18  September 2013
Every two months, this bimonthly brings you the latest publications produced by United Nations agencies and programmes on issues related to water and sanitation. |
| #Post2015 2013 Budapest Water Summit: The Role of Water and Sanitation in the Global Sustainable Development Agenda
Date: 8-11 October 2013 The objective of this high-level summit is to take stock of the various developments, in and outside the UN system, in preparing water-related goals for the post Rio+20 development agenda. The Budapest Water Summit is envisaged as a policy forum to facilitate consensus building amongst stakeholders concerning water and sanitation policy goals. During these four days governments (from developed and developing countries), international organisations, financial institutions, businesses as well as civil society and science will gather in Budapest to discuss the most pressing challenges of water and sanitation. The Summit strives to provide defining contributions to the elaboration of one overarching SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on water and sanitation that corresponds and responds to multidimensional challenges. Areas covered include: Striving for universal access to water and sanitation; Integrated Water Resources Management for the 21st century; Good water governance; Green economy for blue water; Investment and financing of the implementation of water and sanitation Sustainable Development Goals. On the occasion of the Summit, UN-Water organizes a Side Event on 9 October: "Policy Dialogue on an Emerging Proposal for a Dedicated Global Goal on Water, Targets and Indicators". The event will discuss UN-Water’s proposal for a Global Goal on Water.
>> Access Budapest Water Summit website
>> More information about UN-Water side event at the Summit |
| In the news | Forthcoming events |
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#UNGA
Time now to find common ground on new development agenda, says UN General Assembly President
Recapping a week of debate by senior Government officials on crafting a new global development agenda integrating economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection, UN General Assembly President John Ashe said on 1 October it is now up to UN Member States to "find the common ground as a basis for moving forward with decisive action." The General Debate, which opened on 24 September, provided heads of State and other senior Government officials an opportunity to weigh in on the shape of the world’s development strategy for the period after the 2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Mr. Ashe highlighted issues Government leaders wished to see featured in the new agenda, including water and sanitation among others.
The UN Human Rights Council adopted on 27 September Resolution L31 and decided to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, for a period of 3 years.
On World Tourism Day 2013, 27 September, dedicated to the theme "Tourism and Water - Protecting Our Common Future" in line with the International Year of Water Cooperation, stakeholders called for greater global efforts in water preservation. A high-level Think Tank on Tourism and Water gathered leading experts on water preservation, public and private sector tourism stakeholders and media experts to discuss key issues contributing to a more sustainable water future.
Human influence on the climate system is clear. This is evident in most regions of the globe, a new assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes. This new assessment report "Climate Change 2013: the Physical Science Basis" also alerts about changes in the water cycle in response to global warming. From the Decade’s programmes
#WWWeek
Conclusions, video and presentations from UN-Water seminar at World Water Week: "Triggering Action on Water through the Post-2015 Agenda"
UNW-DPAC, on behalf of UN-Water, organized this seminar at World Water Week in Stockholm on Sunday 1 September 2013. Participants presented and discussed the most recent proposals for a Water Sustainable Development Goal. A key question is if these will trigger action in the same way as the Millennium Development Goal target on water has done. Does this have the same level of clarity and will help provide the same focus for action? What would be the necessary means and accompanying measures by the international community, the governments and the different stakeholders? These are some of the questions this Stakeholder dialogue with representatives of farmers, women, youth, international cooperation, business and the scientific community tried to respond. |
#IDDR
International Day for Disaster Reduction 2013
Date: 13 October 2013 International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) offers an opportunity to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness. IDDR is a day to celebrate how people and communities are reducing their risk to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of disaster risk reduction. It’s also a day to encourage every citizen and government to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations. The 2013 theme for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is "Living with disability and disasters".
Date: 15 October 2013
Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced and difficult to promote. Global Handwashing Day was originally created for children and schools, but can be celebrated by anyone promoting handwashing with soap. The 2013 theme is "The power is in your hands", because everyone has the power to create healthier communities through handwashing with soap.
Date: 22-24 October 2013
The SACOSAN process is instrumental in generating political will towards better sanitation in South Asia. This governmental regional conference intends to accelerate progress in sanitation and hygiene promotion in South Asia and to enhance people’s quality of life. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the participating countries. Different UN agencies such as UNICEF and WHO also participate. For media
#Disasters
Training seminar for journalists: "Journalism in times of crisis, emergency and disaster"
Date: 30-31 October 2013
This training seminar is aimed at all those TV, radio and press journalists who wish to broaden their education to report on emergencies and disasters. The UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) will participate in a panel discussion open to the public: "What is disaster response? Different models", on 30 October 2013. Latest videos
• Water: our life, our future
The Municipality of eThekwini, Durban, South Africa, won the category 2 ’Best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practice’ 1st edition of ’Water for Life’ UN-Water Best Practices Award with the initiative ’A Participatory and Learning Based Approach to Raising Awareness on Water and Sanitation’. This video presents the different components of the initiative and explains what worked and what didn’t when trying to improve access to clean water and sanitation in the municipality. |
- International Poster Competition "Water is Life". Art and Design Student Competition 2015
Zentralverband Sanitär Heizung Klima (ZVSHK), a German Sanitation, Heating and Air Conditioning Association, has been organizing a poster competition since 2011 with more than 4800 posters created from over 80 countries. The International Poster Competition "Water is Life" - Art and Design Student Competition 2015 is calling art and design students all over the world to design posters to raise awareness of the importance of access to clean drinking water. The competition promotes the Decade and its logo will be part of posters submitted to the competition.
>>Contact
- XIII Expociencia Expotecnología 2013 - International Year of Water Cooperation
The Colombian Association for the Advancement of Sciences (ACAC), a private non-profit organization, is organizing, on the occasion of the International Year of Water Cooperation, the XIII Expociencia Expotecnología 2013. The XIII Expociencia Expotecnología 2013, which will take place from 28 October to 3 November 2013, aims to create opportunities for the business, academic, educational, scientific and technological sectors, to participate through sharing innovative projects and proposals as well as scientific and technological developments that contribute to the development of the country and the welfare of the Colombian people. The event has joined the Decade and has been authorized the use of the Decade’s logo.
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- 2012 ASEAN Science Film Festival
The ASEAN Science Film Festival was initiated and is organized by the Bangkok Goethe-Institut in cooperation with local partners. The festival presents films which communicate technological and scientific issues in an accessible and entertaining way to a broad audience, especially children and students, in Southeast Asia. The theme selected for 2012 was "Water". The 2012 edition of the festival joined the Decade’s campaign and promoted the Decade by including its logo in the event’s brochure and in the Festival trailer in English and Thai.
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