Media Advisory: Thousands to gather at UN Headquarters to urgently find solutions and scale up action to tackle global water crisis

Thousands to gather at UN Headquarters to urgently find solutions

and scale up action to tackle global water crisis

“The Water Summit must result in a bold Water Action Agenda that gives our world’s lifeblood the commitment it deserves.”

Secretary-General António Guterres

World leaders will join civil society, businesses, investors, local communities, and youth at the UN Water Conference taking place at UN Headquarters in New York (22-24 March) to urgently scale up action to tackle the global water crisis.

Billions of people worldwide still live without safely managed drinking water and sanitation, and almost three quarters of all recent disasters are water-related, having caused economic damage of almost $700 billion in the past 20 years. On top of this, water-intensive industry, agriculture and energy generation are growing to meet the needs of an expanding population.

Co-hosted by the Governments of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Tajikistan, the Conference is a unique opportunity to tackle challenges, scale up solutions and accelerate action surrounding water and Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for All.

The Conference is expected to culminate in the Water Action Agenda — a collection of bold commitments that will mobilise the progress needed to ensure a water-secure world.

HIGHLIGHTS

Opening of the Conference Water Tunnel (21 March, 6:00 pm EDT)

Organized by the Governments of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Tajikistan, there will be a Water Tunnel in front of the main entrance of the United Nations Headquarters. The King of the Netherlands will join the Opening.

The SDG6 Flag Handover ceremony will immediately follow the opening of the Water Tunnel.

Ms. Mina Guli, a renowned water activist and ultra-distance runner, will hand the flag over to the King of the Netherlands and the President of Tajikistan. Ms. Guli set off to run a 200 marathon across the globe in 1 year to raise awareness about the scale of the world’s water crisis – with the final marathon ending here in New York at the start of the UN Water Conference.

Press briefing on World Water Development Report (21 March, 12:30 pm EDT)

There will be an embargoed press briefing on the 2023 UN World Water Development Report (WWDR) at UN Headquarters in New York on 21 March at 12:30 pm EDT. This year’s report is titled Partnerships and Cooperation for Water. The WWDR is UN-Water’s flagship report on water and sanitation issues and focuses on a different theme each year. The WWDR is published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water. The briefing will take place in Room S-237 or may be followed on UN WebTV.

SDG Media Zone Live (22-24 March)

Hosted by the United Nations and in collaboration with the PVBLIC Foundation, the SDG Media Zone will feature a range of a live format of interviews and panel discussions on water issues and spotlight sessions on water commitments live at the conference and on UN WebTV.

Press briefing schedule can be accessed here: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023/media

Key links

*List of Experts are available

*Media Corner: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023/media

*Follow live: UN WebTV

*Conference Website: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023

*Programme: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023/programme

*Side Events: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023/events/side

*Interactive Dialogues: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023/documentation

Social Media

Please follow us on the UN Water Conference and water-related issues, using the hashtag #WaterAction.

Media Contacts (Interviews with experts available upon request)