UN 2023 Water Conference: Accelerating Water Action for a Sustainable Future
By: Ahmed Fathi
The United Nations General Assembly will host the United Nations 2023 Water Conference in New York City from March 22nd to 24th, 2023, with sponsorship from the governments of the Netherlands and Tajikistan.
Even while having access to both safe drinking water and sanitation has long been recognized as a fundamental human right, there are still billions of people throughout the world who do not have either of these services. There is a widespread increase in water pollution, but at the same time, the ecosystems that provide water are being depleted. The water cycle is being thrown off by climate change, which is creating both droughts and floods. The Water Conference is an inclusive and cross-sectoral event because water is an issue that affects everyone.
The Conference, which will formally be named as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the United Nations Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028), will be the most significant gathering pertaining to water in a generation. It aims to increase awareness of the global water crisis and decide on concerted action to achieve the internationally agreed upon water-related goals and targets, including those that are contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In addition, it aims to bring about a more equitable distribution of the world's freshwater resources.
Given that many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have fallen behind schedule, making headway in the implementation of Goal 6 (water and sanitation) is essential to achieving other SDGs, in particular those pertaining to health, food, gender equity, education, livelihoods, industry, climate, and the environment.
The main outcome of the Conference will be the presentation of the Water Action Agenda, which symbolizes the voluntary pledges at all levels, including by governments, institutions, and local communities. The launch will take place on the final day of the Conference. The agenda will assist in mobilizing action on the part of governments, sectors, and stakeholders in order to accomplish the global goals and targets related to water.