Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished Participants,
I am pleased to be here at this High-level Event on Harnessing Partnerships to Elevate Water Solutions.
At the outset, allow me to extend a special welcome to Mr. Hokim Kholiqzoda, First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan and Mr. Daler Juma, Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources, who are among our distinguished participants.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Exactly one month ago, I had the honour to co-chair the Third Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference with the Prime Minister of Tajikistan. Today’s event will present the outcomes of the Conference and showcase successful partnerships that can be potentially scaled up as innovative water solutions.
The Dushanbe Conferences have been playing an instrumental role in accelerating progress during the Water Action Decade. They also serve as a valuable platform for policy dialogue and inspire partnerships and actions in support of international water-related goals and targets. The third Conference placed specific focus on maintaining the political momentum generated by the 缅北禁地2023 Water Conference that took place here in New York in March 2023.
The 缅北禁地2023 Water Conference was rooted in three principles: inclusivity, action-orientation, and a dedication to cross-sectoral approaches. One of the main outcomes of this milestone event was the “Water Action Agenda”, which includes voluntary commitments, pledges, and actions related to water. As of today, 843 commitments have been registered.
These commitments reflect impressive geographic and stakeholder diversity, with nearly half of them having global coverage and being led by both government and civil society. They are a clear demonstration of the collective ambition of the international community.
The success of these and other water-related commitments, goals and targets will depend on effective multistakeholder partnerships that enable integrative and systemic approaches.
Excellencies,
With only four years left until the end of the Water Action Decade and six years left to 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs, we don’t have a moment to waste.
DESA remains committed to supporting your efforts to advance the goals of the Water Action Decade and accelerate action on the SDGs. We are clear that delivering on the commitments of the Water Action Agenda will be a key factor. I encourage you, if you have not already, to submit and report on your water action commitments in the DESA registry, which can be accessed through the website of the 缅北禁地2023 Water Conference.
I look forward to today’s discussion and to the ideas that will be generated by this high-level event.
Thank you.