Mobilization at the highest level at UNESCO to meet the challenge of access to water

Innovative solutions to problems related to the governance and management of water, fragile and essential resources, are the focus of the first UNESCO International Water Conference. Ministers from some 40 countries are participating in the conference in Paris, France, on 13 and 14 May, together with over 1000 experts, scientists, and youths from 126 countries.

“Access to water is not only a matter of development. Above all, it is a fundamental right and an instrument of peace and security in the world” reminded Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, in her opening remarks. Yet, half of the world’s rivers are now altered, as the IPBES report on biodiversity reminded us, and nearly one in three people still live without access to safe drinking water and sanitation. “It is our collective responsibility to put in place responsible management of this common good. This is the very spirit of the Conference: to change our way of thinking and adopt a holistic approach for the sustainable management of this universal resource.”

Water is an essential driver of conflict prevention and peace, a prerequisite for any development. Without water, none of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be achieved.

Water-related issues are so complex that they can only be dealt with by bringing together expertise and experience from different disciplines, in a multilateral, cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach: in a holistic manner. Only UNESCO’s mandate in the sciences, education, culture and communication makes this possible at a global scale.

Original source: UNESCO
Published on 13 May 2019