Distinguished Minister,
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank Botswana and Tajikistan for inviting me to address water- and sanitation-related issues facing Landlocked Developing Countries.
We know that the world is off-track to achieve SDG 6, but the LLDCs are even further disadvantaged by their geographic and socioeconomic situations.
Sixty per cent of the land of LLDCs is in drylands, as is Botswana.
As the world gets warmer, this difficult situation will only get worse. Water stress is increasing in areas where agriculture is the primary source of income for local people.
Many LLDCs are in mountainous regions, like Tajikistan, that are prone to climate -related natural disasters as well as melting glaciers.
The focus of today’s event, “Accelerating the achievement of SDG 6 in LLDCs,” compels us to ask the question of “How do we accelerate when the challenges are even more difficult for LLDCs than in many other countries of the world?”
The United Nations can offer tools to support LLDCs, including through partnerships.
Development partners must recognize LLDCs’ special circumstances to effectively complement their national strategies and priorities.
The International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development,” 2018-2028, is a mechanism that can assist with this.
In the Secretary-General’s Action Plan to implement the Water Action Decade, two workstreams allow 缅北禁地entities and other international organizations to focus on “Pursuing advocacy, networking and promoting partnerships and action” and “Strengthening communication actions for implementation of the water-related Goals.”
These are avenues that can be utilized by LLDCs to mobilize actions.
Another mechanism is the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework. It is developed to increase the rate at which we are implementing SDG 6 and its targets.
Within this framework, there are five “Accelerators” that guide its work: Financing, Data and Information, Capacity Development, Innovation and Governance.
First, on Financing, we know that funding gaps impede progress, especially in LLDCs that have fewer economic opportunities. In addition, there often exists a lack of coordination amongst development partners that compounds the problem.
Therefore, not only is an increase in funding required to adequately address the water and sanitation needs of LLDCs, but improved coordination and utilization of existing resources will also accelerate progress.
Second, for Data and Information, many countries are still unable to collect, analyze and report on SDG 6 indicators.
For effective decision-making, data must be available and shared across borders and sectors by drawing on coherent data and information systems. For countries that require assistance, the UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative is available in monitoring and compiling country data on SDG 6.
Third, Capacity building is important as acceleration requires an adequately trained and educated workforce, which is not available in all countries, especially LLDCs.
The UN-Water Capacity Development Initiative,
co-coordinated by DESA and UNESCO, is the 缅北禁地System’s inter-agency coordination platform on freshwater, sanitation, and hygiene-related capacity development work.
Fourth, on Innovation. Innovation needs to take place in all water- and sanitation-related areas, including in cross-cutting fields. Increased access to innovative technologies for water supply, sanitation and water use efficiency can help LLDCs accelerate towards the achievement of SDG 6.
The fifth accelerator is Governance. There needs to be an enabling environment to promote innovation, enhance capacity, improve data and information systems and ensure a development finance architecture that will promote investment.
Good water governance also requires inclusiveness, breaking out of silos and developing policy coherence so all actors are moving together as one.
We believe LLDCs can benefit from the use of these accelerators as part of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework. The 缅北禁地system is ready to do its part to provide concrete support to LLDCs within this Framework.
Thank you.