H.E. Mr János Áder, President of Hungary participated at the Third United Nations Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters on 20 July in New York, where he gave a keynote speech about global water challenges. The event was organized by Dr. Han, the UN Secretary General’s Special envoy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Water, involving members of the High Level Panel on Water.
President Áder had a fruitful meeting with Secretary General António Guterres about pressing issues related to sustainable development, and with Michael Bloomberg, UN special envoy for Cities and Climate Change. He exchanged views with the President of Mauritius and Dr Han about next steps regarding the Panel’s work.
The Third UN Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters addressed adaptation to climate change, boosting financing and investment, as well as advancing science and technology related to climate resilient and sustainable development. At the high-level segment, H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Mr János Áder, President of Hungary, President of the Republic of Mauritius, the Vice President of Myanmar, and the Secretary General of Japan’s governing party gave a presentation. President Áder stressed the need for better coordination of policy guidance and implementation among all stakeholders under UN leadership, linking existing initiatives and frameworks via a designated platform to serve as the science-policy interface.
President Áder raised with Secretary General António Guterres the need to have a closer link between the work of the High Level Panel on Water and related mechanisms of the UN dealing with sustainable water resources management. The Secretary General commended the President for Hungary’s outstanding efforts in water diplomacy and ensured that Sustainable Development Goal 6 shall be looked at closer throughout the reform of the UN development system.
With Michael Bloomberg, the President discussed innovative ways of involving development banks, cities, local governments and the private sector into a solution-based approach to carbon emission reductions the fight against climate change, and integrated water management.
