Remarks at a high-level event: “From Dushanbe to HLPF 2024: leveraging partnerships to improve water solutions”

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear participants,

I am delighted to be here at this high-level event on ‘Using partnerships for better water solutions’.

Let me first extend a special welcome to Mr Hokim Kholiqzoda, First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan, and Mr Daler Juma, Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, who are among our distinguished participants.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Exactly one month ago, I had the honour of co-chairing the third Water Action Decade Conference in Dushanbe with the Prime Minister of Tajikistan. Today’s event will present the outcomes of the conference and showcase successful partnerships that have the potential to be scaled up into innovative water solutions.

The Dushanbe Conferences have played an important role in accelerating progress during the Decade for Water Action. They also serve as a valuable platform for policy dialogue and inspire partnerships and action in support of international water-related goals and targets. The third conference focused in particular on maintaining the political momentum created by the UN Water Conference 2023, to be held here in New York in March 2023.

The UN Water Conference 2023 was based on three principles: inclusivity, action orientation and a commitment to cross-sectoral approaches. One of the key outcomes of this milestone was the Water Action Agenda, which includes voluntary commitments, pledges and actions related to water. To date, 843 commitments have been registered.

These commitments reflect an impressive geographical diversity and variety of actors involved. Almost half of them span the globe and are supported by both governments and civil society. They are a clear demonstration of the shared ambition of the international community.

The success of these and other water-related commitments, goals and targets depends on effective partnerships between all stakeholders that enable inclusive and systemic approaches.

Excellencies,

With only four years left until the end of the Decade for Water Action and six years to go until the 2030 deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we have no time to lose.

DESA will continue to support you in your efforts to advance the goals of the Decade for Water Action and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. We understand that meeting the commitments of the Water Action Agenda will be a key enabler. I encourage you to register and report on your water action commitments in the DESA Registry, if you have not already done so. This Registry is accessible via the UN Water Conference 2023 website.

I look forward to today’s discussion and to the ideas that this high-level event will generate.

Thank you very much.