SECOND INTERNATIONAL HIGH-LEVEL CONFERENCE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DECADE FOR ACTION “WATER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”, 2018-2028
6-9 June 2022, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly declared the period 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” (hereinafter Water Action Decade), which aims at supporting sustainable development and integrated management of water resources, while promoting cooperation and partnerships to support achieving internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
On 22 March 2018, the United Nations Secretary General’s Plan for the Water Action Decade was released during a High-Level Launch Event, convened by the President of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. The plan outlines current activities and capabilities of the UN system and international organizations and the operational setup envisaged to support Member States in the implementation of the Water Action Decade.
In this connection, the Government of Tajikistan, committed to continue providing a platform for policy dialogue, partnership and action at the global, regional and national level, is organizing, with the support of the United Nations and other partners, high-level international conferences throughout the Water Action Decade.
This series of events constitutes the so-called “Dushanbe Water Process”. As part of this process, the First High-level International Conference on the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028 (First Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference) was held in Dushanbe on 20-21 June 2018.
The outcomes of the Conference included recommendations to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development that took place in 2018, for its in-depth review of the implementation of SDG 6. The Final Declaration of the First Dushanbe Conference confirmed the focus of the next conference to be on “Catalyzing water action and partnership at the local, national, regional and global levels” to achieve the goals of the Water Action Decade and other water-related SDGs and targets.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemics, the Second Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference had to be postponed to 2022. Taking into account the rapidly evolving development challenges, and the fact that the coronavirus disease demonstrated a crucial role of the safe and affordable drinking water, and adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene which should be available, accessible, and affordable to all, as well as importance of water for economic recovery the Conference planned for 2022 will have a renewed focus on “Catalyzing water action and partnership at the local, national, regional and global levels” for the water-smart recovery path in the post-COVID world.
Objectives
The Second Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference will focus on how governments, the United Nations and its entities, other international and regional organizations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, academia, communities, local governments and other stakeholders can catalyze water action and partnerships to contribute to the implementation of water-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development and the New Urban Agenda at all levels, while supporting the global response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Second Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference will also serve as a platform for soliciting and consolidating inputs in preparation of the 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 in 2023 in New York and will feed the upcoming UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
In particular, the Second Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference will focus on:
- Providing an update on the activities and actions indicated in the Final Declaration, the Co-Chairs’ Summary and the Call for Action and Partnerships of the First Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference, co-organized by the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations;
- Accelerating the implementation of internationally agreed water-related goals and targets at the regional and national level, particularly through the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework;
- Promoting science-based solutions and tools, including data, technologies and innovations;
- Improving capacity building, knowledge and education through sharing information and best practices;
- Showcasing successful partnerships, advocacy and networking actions by stakeholders at all levels;
- Strengthening cooperation at different levels by promoting dialogue, partnership and cross-sectoral approaches.
Moreover, the Conference will address the key role of water, sanitation and hygiene in addressing the COVID-19 crisis and other public health threats of water-borne diseases, as well as critical interlinkages between water and climate change in the context of water resources management as a key factor for climate adaptation and mitigation.
The Conference will also provide an opportunity for sharing progress and constraints in the implementation of the actions and partnerships, initiated by governments and other stakeholders within the Water Action Decade, including the First Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference and the other events towards the 2023 UN Water Conference in New York. Speakers and panelists are requested to showcase real action on the ground.
The Conference in 2022 will also provide a mechanism to encourage governments, the United Nations and all other partners to translate good intentions into actions on the ground.
Source: dushanbewaterprocess.org
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