2015 UN-Water Annual International Zaragoza Conference. Water and Sustainable Development: From Vision to Action. 15-17 January 2015

The Zaragoza Conference focused on the tools for implementation stated in the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro from 20 to 22 June 2012, entitled "The future we want", which includes finance, technology and capacity building, adding the institutional and policy dimensions.

>> WELCOMING SPEECH by H.E. Mr. Sirodjidin Aslov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajik stan, to the participants of the UN-Water Zaragoza

>> Welcome video message by Michel Jarraud, UN-Water Chair, to the participants of the UN-Water Zaragoza Conference

>> Just Out!!!! Conference report

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Conference Photo Gallery

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Conference outcomes

>> Cases
>> Conference daily
>> Conference Communications ReportPDF Document
>> Discussion forum
>> Information briefs on Water and Sustainable Development
>> Interviewing conference participants
>> Overview Papers
>> Presentations from participants
>> Session Reports
>> Tool Papers
>> Toolbox
>> Twitter Activity Report
>> Video recording of sessions
>> Video interviews with conference participants

Messages for the Conference and the Decade

Joan Clos, UN-Habitat Executive Director

Joan Clos

What has changed in the water sector over the Decade?

During the last decade the world has transitioned to becoming predominantly urban. Much of this shift is taking place in the global South which, while still mostly rural, has seen millions of people moving to urban areas and slums. This means that we need to increase our efforts to provide water solutions in cities and especially in informal settlements. A great deal of work has been done to provide water to these areas under the Millennium Development Goals but a lot still needs to be done.

What has been UN Habitat´s role in the change?

UN-Habitat works to support the efforts by governments in developing countries in the achievement of the internationally agreed goals related to water and sanitation in human settlements, with a particular focus on the urban poor. UN-Habitat focuses on bringing in new investment and innovative ideas to the urban water and sanitation sector, expanding service coverage for poor urban dwellers, and help in building momentum behind the attainment of water and sanitation Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. This is achieved through city-level demonstration projects, institutional strengthening of service providers and engagement in normative work, including national policy and reform processes.

To support these activities, UN-Habitat launched a Water and Sanitation Trust Fund in 2003 as a fast track financing mechanism aimed at bringing in new investment and innovative ideas to the urban water and sanitation sector, expanding service coverage for poor urban dwellers, and help in building momentum behind the attainment of water and sanitation Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets.

Key achievements of the Trust Fund include: 1.6million people provided with safe drinking water and sanitation; USD 145 million capitalized over 10 years; Over USD 100 million leveraged through partnership with development banks; and 36 countries have adopted pro-poor water and sanitation policies.

What are your hopes for the future?

The good news is that urbanisation provides an opportunity for us in service provision. Through proximity, providing water in urban areas is easier, cheaper and more efficient than to remote and spread out rural areas. As the world becomes more urban, we need to plan in advance for the services that will be needed by rapidly growing cities in developing countries.

As we look beyond 2015 and towards the new Sustainable Development Goals we hope that water is included and recognised as one of the key areas for work, as highlighted by the proposed goal 6; Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. In addition, our work in this area must continue to be set in a growing urban context. In 2016, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urbanisation will take place. This will be a unique opportunity to take stock of what we have achieved so far and set us on the path for a New Urban Agenda – one in which people in all human settlements around the world have access to water.

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About the Conference

>> Conveners and partners
>> Objectives and expected outcomes
>> Conference flyerPDF Document
>> AgendaPDF Document
>> StructurePDF Document
>> ParticipantsPDF Document

Logistics

>> Accommodation
>> Travelling to Zaragoza
>> Your stay in Zaragoza
>> Map

The vision

>> Rio+20
>> Water and sustainable development
>> Global commitments on water
>> A post-2015 global goal for water
>> Water and the Open Working Group (OWG)
>> The role of actors involved

The action

>> Capacity development
>> Financing and economic instruments
>> Governance frameworks
>> Technology

Action on…

>> Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
>> Water Resources Management
>> Water Quality
>> Risk management

14 January: Pre-Conference Side events and Technical Visits

>> Technical visit: La Cartuja
>> Technical visit: The Ebro River Basin Authority and its Automatic System for Hydrologic Information (SAIH)
>> Technical visit: Expo + Water Park
>> New sources: Wastewater reuse
>> Local level actions in decentralized water solidarity towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
>> Water Footprint Assessment
>> Technological advances and Water Policy
>> Cultivando Agua Boa Programme
>> CODIA and water and energy in LAC
>> The fulfillment of the human right to water and sanitation

15 January: Setting the scene and the context

>> Achieving sustainable water for all in LAC
>> Achieving water security for Asia and the Pacific
>> Ensuring implementation of the water-related SDGs in Europe
>> Setting the scene

16 January: Whose action?

>> Academia
>> Business
>> Civil society
>> Governments and local authorities
>> Media and Communicators

17 January: Integrating knowledge and the way forward

>> Multi-stakeholder dialogue on tools for implementation

Resources

>> Cases
>> Conference daily
>> Conference Communications ReportPDF Document
>> Discussion forum
>> Information briefs on Water and Sustainable Development
>> Interviewing conference participants
>> Overview Papers
>> Presentations from participants
>> Session Reports
>> Tool Papers
>> Toolbox
>> Twitter Activity Report
>> Video recording of sessions
>> Video interviews with conference participants


Promotional materials

>> Conference banners
>> Conference posterPDF document