On 14 March 2018 the mandate of the High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) ended with the release of its outcome package consisting of a final report, including recommendations and summaries of key initiatives by the Panel, an open letter to fellow leaders and a “galvanizing” video calling for action.
Hungary’s longstanding commitment to sustainable and integrated water resources management has been demonstrated by the active participation of H.E. Mr. János Áder, the President in the Panel’s work. At the handover ceremony in UN Headquarters, Hungary was represented by H.E. Ambassador Katalin Annamária Bogyay, Permanent Representative to the UN.
In April 2016 the UN Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank Group convened a High Level Panel on Water (HLPW), consisting of 11 sitting Heads of State and Government and one Special Adviser, to provide the leadership required to champion a comprehensive, inclusive and collaborative way of developing and managing water resources, and improving water and sanitation related services.
The core focus of the Panel was the commitment to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, as well as to contribute to the achievement of other SDGs that rely on the development and management of water resources.
At the handover ceremony, the Secretary General emphasized the link of the Panel’s recommendations to the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs with a particular emphasis on water. Recalling that two billion people in the world still lack access to safe water and 4.5 billion to proper sanitation, he cited the aggravating effects of climate change, which will have further negative impacts on the current water systems. With the increasing number of water-linked natural disasters, water is indeed becoming a matter of life and death, therefore it should be prioritized by all. The Secretary General ensured the representatives of the members of the panel to provide the whole of the UN system and also all member states with his support to take forward the recommendations of the report’s panel and make sure that they are implemented effectively.
H.E. Ambassador Katalin Annamária Bogyay, Permanent Representative to the UN shared that under the leadership of Hungary the panel members elaborated recommendations in the five topics: institutional considerations, sustainable cities, transboundary water governance, water infrastructure and investment, and the link between water, peace and forced displacement. The President of Hungary will present the report next week at the World Water Forum in Brasilia on behalf of the panel as a whole.
Hungary remains committed to the strategic discussions on improving the integration and coordination of the work of the UN on water related SDGs, including on strengthening the governance structures. Budapest will host the next Water Summit in 2019, which will provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to redefine the scope of managing the world’s water resources. The summit will also promote a greater emphasis on preventive measures, including the development of integrated urban water solutions and financing schemes for high quality water infrastructure.
