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6 Mar 2021 WASHINGTON DC, United States

Biden administration reengages US with “flawed” UN Human Rights Council as Wall Street bets on water futures

In another reversal of Trump-era policy, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has announced the intention of the Biden administration to “reengage immediately and robustly” with the council.The Trump administration withdrew from the UNHRC in 2018 citing entrenched bias against Israel and concern at the council’s willingness to admit nations which were themselves frequent abusers of human rights...

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7 Oct 2020 GENEVA, Switzerland

33rd UN-Water Meeting Addresses WASH Challenges In The Year Of COVID

Opportunities to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) on clean water and sanitation, and the role of water and sanitation in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, were at the top of the agenda of the open session of the annual UN-Water Meeting which took place virtually on 29 September...

16 Apr 2020 WASHINGTON DC, United States

Investing In Water Access To Address Coronavirus

The World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research non-profit organization, has called for immediate implementation of solutions to increase water supplies and access for the most vulnerable, to address the spread of coronavirus throughout the world.An 8 April blog emphasises that nearly 1 billion people live in conditions that frequent handwashing is difficult or impossible, saying that governments must “take steps to not only expand water access now to control COVID-19, but to create resilient communities by addressing the root problems of water insecurity...

15 Apr 2020 GENEVA, Switzerland

UN-Water Collates Member And Partner Statements On COVID Pandemic

While there is no single United Nations entity dedicated exclusively to water issues, over 30 UN organisations carry out water and sanitation programmes, reflecting the fact that water issues run through all of the UN’s main focus areas.UN-Water, which coordinates the efforts of UN entities and international organizations working on water and sanitation issues, has brought together water and sanitation-related information from UN-Water Members and Partners in the light of the coronavirus global emergency to ensure the most up-to-date information, resources and guidance as they become available...

19 Mar 2020 Edinburgh, Scotland

COVID-19: World Water Day Face-to-face Observances Postponed

In light of global spread of the coronavirus and following instructions from national authorities and guidance from the World Health Organization, certain World Water Day (22 March) observances that were scheduled to take place in Geneva, Rome, Paris and New York have been postponed or cancelled.19 March Announcement From UN WaterWhile these face-to-face events will not take place in March, World Water Day and its campaign is still ongoing...

7 Sep 2019 STOCKHOLM, Sweden

World's Poorest Suffer Under Weak Government Systems, Funding Gap: GLAAS Report

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UN-Water have published the most recent version of the UN-Water Global Assessment and Analysis of Sanitation and Drinking-Water 2019 (known as the GLAAS Report).The survey of 115 countries and territories reveals that weak government systems and lack of human resources and funds continue to hamper the delivery of water and sanitation (WASH) services in the world’s poorest countries and that efforts to ensure adequate services for all have been undermined...

19 Mar 2019 GENEVA, Switzerland

"Leaving No One Behind": 2019 United Nations World Water Development Report

The United Nations World Water Development Report 2019 (WWDR), launched March 19 with the theme "Leaving No One Behind", argues that fulfilling the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for all can also significantly contribute to the achievement of the broad set of goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: from food and energy security, to economic development and environmental sustainability...

6 Dec 2018 KATOWICE, Poland

WaterAid Calls For COP Recognition Of WASH As Part Of Climate Change Adaptation

Sudan, Niger and Pakistan are the top 3 countries with the most threatened water supply, based on new analysis by Water Aid of Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative measures of access to water, climate patterns and water usage rates.UN Water has estimated that 3.6 billion people lived in water-scarce areas in 2016, a number expected to increase to around 5 billion by 2050...

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22 Mar 2018 New YORK NY

Guterres Launches "International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development"

Climate Change is Adding to The Pressure; Risk of Intensified Disputes and Tensions Between Nations; Quite Simply, Water is a Matter of Life And Death; Call To Action On WASH; Women And Girls Suffer Disproportionately; Praise For High-Level Panel On Water; UN-Water To Be "Strengthened"United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres marked World Water Day today, March 22, in New York today with a speech to launch the International Decade for Action 2018‑2028 - "Water for Sustainable Development"...

31 Jan 2017 AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

“UN-Water” – a World Water Day Campaign

UN-Water, a coagulation of United Nations agencies, has declared that World Water Day (22nd March, 2017) is “all about wastewater, and how we should be reducing and reusing it rather than letting it go down the drain”, encouraging individuals to “download your inspiration” and “share what you are doing” ( www...

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27 Oct 2015 NEW YORK, NY, United States

UN Human Rights Chief Urges Governments to End Discrimination in Water and Sanitation Access

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has called on governments around the world to acknowledge safe drinking water and sanitation as human rights, in order to prevent discrimination and inequality in accessing these services.In a new policy brief, "Eliminating Discrimination and Inequalities in Access to Water and Sanitation," released this week, Hussein warned that until water and sanitation are acknowledged as basic rights, “there will be no accountability for the deprivation and denial suffered by millions, and no meaningful progress in international efforts to expand safe access...

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4 Feb 2015 NAIROBI, Kenya

UN Sounds Alarm Over Health, Ecological Impacts of Wastewater

Unregulated liquid waste discharges pose a serious threat to human and ecological health, UN-Water warned in a new report released on February 2nd.The Rapid Assessment Report on Waste Water Management revealed that only 20 percent of wastewater is being treated globally, and rapid industrialization and population growth are making the problem worse...