Decade's Milestones

2003

  • 23 December: Resolution A/RES/58/217 proclaiming 2005-2015 International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015.

2005

  • 22 March: Start of the International Decade for Action "Water for Life" 2005-2015 as established in Resolution A/RES/58/217.
  • 11-22 April: 13th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. Report on the thirteenth session (E/2005/29), which contains a matrix of actions to form a basis for the Decade. It was called a 'possible framework of policy options for Governments and for the UN system'.
  • 25 July: Report of the UN Secretary-General on Actions taken in organising the activities of the International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015 (A/60/158). This inception report of the Decade contains pledges of activities by the UN agencies, as well as the proposed governance structure.

2006

  • 20 December: Declaration of 2008 'International Year of Sanitation' (A/RES/61/192).

2007

  • August: Opening of the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) in Bonn, Germany.
  • October: Opening of the United Nations Office to support the International Decade for Action "Water for Life" 2005-2015/UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) in Zaragoza, Spain.

2008

2009

  • 21 December: Resolution calling for a Midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action 'Water for life' 2005-2015 (A/RES/64/198). This UNGA decision announced the meeting in Tajikistan and requested information on the progress of the Decade

2010

  • 22 March: High-Level Interactive Dialogue on the implementation of the International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015. UN Headquarters, New York. Four documents were presented:
    1. Water, peace and security: transboundary water cooperation (A/64/692 and A/64/692/Corr.1).
    2. Organization of the midterm comprehensive review of the International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015 (A/64/693).
    3. Water, climate change and disasters (A/64/695).
    4. Water and the internationally agreed development goals (A/64/694).
  • 8-9 June: High-level International Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015. Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
  • 22 June: Dushanbe Declaration on Water (A/65/88). This 'non-negotiated text' lists a number of focal areas for the remainder of the Decade.
  • 28 July: UN Resolution recognising access to safe and clean drinking water and
    sanitationas a human right (A/RES/64/292).
  • 16 August: Report of the UN Secretary-General on the Midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action 'Water for Life' 2005-2015 (A/65/297). This document was prepared by UNDESA, provides an overview of the Decade to date, and gives an account of activities by the UN system and UN-Water partners , such as the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

2011

  • 11 February: 'Sustainable sanitation: the five-year drive to 2015'. Follow-up of the International
    Year of Sanitation, 2008 (A/RES/65/153). This is an initiative by the UN Secretary-General'
    Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), UNICEF and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). The resolution makes reference to the Decade.
  • 11 February: Declaration of 2013 'International Year of Water Cooperation' (A/RES/65/154).
  • 21 June: Launch of UN Campaign "Sustainable sanitation: the five-year drive to 2015".

2012

  • 20-22 June: Rio+20. The Rio+20 Outcome Document highlights the commitment to the 2005-2015 International Decade for Action "Water for Life".

2013

2014

  • 18-19 February: UN General Assembly thematic debate on Water, Sanitation and Sustainable Energy in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. UN-water presents recommendations for a global goal on water in post-2015 agenda.
  • 11 March: Special Event “Taking Stock of the International Year of Water Cooperation and Advancing the Global Water Agenda Post-2015”.
  • 19 July: UN Open Working Group adopts its final proposal for Sustainable Development Goals.
  • 17 August: The 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (United Nations Watercourse Convention) enters into force .
  • 6 November: UN Human Rights Council appoints Léo Heller as 2nd Special Rapporteur on the human right to water and sanitation.
  • 4 December: UN Secretary-General presents advanced version Synthesis Report on Post-2015 Agenda
  • 19 December: UN General Assembly adopts resolution on International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015, and further efforts to achieve the sustainable development of water resources (A/RES/69/215).

2015

  • 30 March: High-level Interactive Dialogue ‘The International Decade for Action: Progress achieved and lessons learned relevant to the achievement of sustainable development'.
  • 9-11 June: High Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, 2005-2015 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
  • 13- 16 July: 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  • 25 - 27 September: United Nations Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda.
  • 30 November - 11 December: 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 11th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP21/CMP11)
15-17 January 2015: See results!

'Water for Life' UN-Water Best Practices Award

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