UN-Water
UN-Water is an inter-agency entity of the United Nations, endorsed in 2003 for the follow-up process of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Its purpose is to support states in their water-related efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals.[1] UN-Water strengthens coordination among UN agencies that work on all aspects of freshwater and sanitation. This includes surface and groundwater resources, the interface between freshwater and seawater and water-related disasters. UN-Water aims at improving the cooperation between relevant governing bodies and development organizations. It is responsible for the annual World Water Day as well as for the UN Water decade.
Activities
Programmes
UN-Water has four specific programs,[2] each with its own work plan, budget and an executing agency co-ordinating the implementation:
- World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap
- UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) implemented by the United Nations International Decade for Action, "Water for Life Decade" 2005-2015(UNW-IDfA)http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade
- UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) http://www.unwater.unu.edu
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) http://www.wssinfo.org
Reports and publications[3]
UN-Water has three primary, regularly produced reports on water resources:
- UN World Water Development Report http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr
- Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation http://www.wssinfo.org/en/welcome.html
- Global Assessment on Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/glaas/en/
Task forces
UN-Water also maintains ad hoc Task Forces on issues such as Climate Change, Gender and Water, Transboundary Waters, Monitoring (including indicators and reporting), Country-level Coordination, and Sanitation.[4]
World Day for Water
UN-Water is responsible for the coordination and planning of the World Day for Water, which is observed every March 22.
Members and partners of UN-Water
UN-Water is composed of member representatives of 26 United Nations organizations that work on water issues and 17 other, non-UN organizations which are partners in UN-Water.[5]
Members
- CBD - United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
- FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
- IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development
- UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
- UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
- UNCCD - United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
- UNDESA - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
- UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
- UNECA - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
- UNECE - United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
- UNECLAC - United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
- UNESCAP - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- UNESCWA - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
- UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme
- UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- UN-Habitat - United Nations Human Settlements Programme
- UNHCR - United Nations High Commission for Refugees
- UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization
- UNISDR - International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
- UNU - United Nations University
- World Bank - The World Bank
- WHO - World Health Organization
- WMO - World Meteorological Organization
- UNWTO - World Tourism Organization
Partners
- Aquafed - international federation of private water operators
- United Nations Global Compact
- GWP - The Global Water Partnership
- IAH - International Association of Hydrogeologists
- IAHS - International Association of Hydrological Sciences
- ICID - International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage
- IWA - International Water Association
- IWMI - International Water Management Institute
- PSI - Public Services International
- Ramsar - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
- SIWI - Stockholm International Water Institute
- UNSGAB - United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation
- WSSCC - Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council
- WBCSD - World Business Council for Sustainable Development
- IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WWC - World Water Council
- WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature
See also
- Water for Life Decade 2005-2015
- World Toilet Day
- World Water Day
- UN World Water Development Report
- World Water Assessment Programme
External links
- UN-Water Homepage
- Website of the United Nations Decade for Action Water for Life, 2005-2015
- World Water Assessment Programme
- Website of the annual World Water Day
- Waterwiki.net