Background
On 20 December 2018 the General Assembly adopted the resolution on the “Midterm comprehensive review of the implementation of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028”. (A/RES/73/226).
The resolution calls for a Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action to be convened in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023. The Conference shall be preceded by regional and global preparatory meetings, as appropriate, and informed by existing water-related meetings at the regional and global level.
On 21 December 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution (A/RES/75/212) “United Nations Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028”, which provides the modalities of the Conference.
The resolution requests the President of the General Assembly to hold a one-day preparatory meeting, by November 2022, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, to finalize the themes of the interactive dialogues and other outstanding organizational matters of the Conference, ensuring the participation of all relevant stakeholders.
The Government of Tajikistan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands will co-host the Conference.
More information on the conference, including the preparatory meeting and the roadmap is available at https://sdgs.un.org/un-2023-conference-water-action-decade
The dates of the regional preparatory meetings organized by the UN Regional Commissions are under discussion and listed below:
- UN ECE: 12-13 April 2022, hybrid, Geneva
- UN ESCWA: 18-19 May 2022, in person, Beirut
- UN ESCAP: 8 March 2022- online, Bangkok (and potentially an additional one on 22 March for governments, online)
- UN ECA: March 2022 (TBC)
- UN ECLAC: April 2022 (TBC)
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Figure: Vision Statement, UN 2023 Water Conference
The Vision of the Conference
The Conference will be a watershed moment for the world. The Vision of the Conference is for all to fundamentally understand, value, and manage water better and take concerted action to achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Conference and its preparatory process will be organized based on the following three principles: Inclusive, Action-orientated, and Cross-sectoral. More information is available in the Vision Statement.
Relevant events:
- Please, check the video clip of a side-event on the UN 2023 Water Conference held in the Water Pavilion at COP 26.
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