High Level Political Forum reviews progress on SDG 6

On 9 July 2018, water stakeholders, advocates, and country delegates came together to appraise progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of Water and Sanitation for all (SDG 6) during the High Level Political Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York. 

Following a presentation of the status of SDG 6 and an introduction to the 2018 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation by UN Water, member states and representatives of major groups and other stakeholders discussed the progress and the challenges faced in achieving the Goal. 

Panellists and speakers emphasized the urgency of the current water crisis and the fact that, despite efforts, the world is off track in achieving water and sanitation for all by 2030. Danilo Türk, Chair of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace and former President of Slovenia, stressed the need for strong political understanding and leadership, as well as improved cooperative mechanisms. Claudia Sadoff, Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), added that “the water crisis is a water governance crisis in many ways.”

Some issues emerged recurrently during the discussion, such as the importance of investmens and financing of infrastructures; the need for political will and commitment; the pivotal role of partnerships and international cooperation, and the matter of security and peace. The participants also evoked the synergies between water and the other SDGs and the importance of data and information sharing to successfully monitor progress. 

The World Water Council will be present throughout the HLPF through its booth “Water Connects” and through the co-organization of a side event with Brazil at 18:30 on 17 July presenting the outcomes of the 8th World Water Forum.