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Inform Policies

UN-Water informs policies by identifying emerging issues and developing collaborative responses. Over the years, UN-Water has helped shape global policy frameworks on disasters, climate change, sustainable development and other issues, always aiming to ensure that no one is left behind.

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2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The 2030 Agenda is a global plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. UN-Water contributes to the SDG review processes, including the High-level Political Forum. Members and Partners also provide input to the Secretary-General’s report on mainstreaming the three dimensions of sustainable development, the Secretary-General’s report on Progress Towards the SDGs and the Global Sustainable Development Report. By undertaking analysis on the SDGs such as the report Water and sanitation interlinkages across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,  UN-Water is demonstrating the need to pursue the Goals in partnership with other sectors and a diverse set of actors.

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SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework

In response to the Secretary-General’s call for a Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs by 2030, the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework was launched by the UN-Water family in 2020. The framework is a unifying initiative that aims to deliver fast results at an increased scale and strengthen system-wide collaboration at the country level. The five accelerators outlined in the Framework – financing, data and information, capacity development, innovation, and governance – will improve the international community’s support to progress at the country level.

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Water Action Decade

In December 2017, UN Member States adopted United Nations General Assembly resolution 71/222 on an International Decade for Action on ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028. In response to the ambitious 2030 Agenda, the Water Action Decade will accelerate efforts towards meeting water-related challenges, including limited access to safe water and sanitation, increasing pressure on water resources and ecosystems, and an exacerbated risk of droughts and floods. In 2023, the Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action (UN 2023 Water Conference) will be convened.

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The UN 2023 Water Conference

The UN 2023 Water Conference took place from 22 to 24 March 2023 in New York. The co-hosts of the conference, Tajikistan and the Netherlands, committed to ensuring the event was inclusive, action-oriented and cross-sectoral. During the first UN conference on water since 1977, participants considered the integrated management of water resources for the achievement of social, economic, and environmental objectives, the implementation and promotion of related programmes and projects, as well as on the furtherance of cooperation and partnerships at all levels. General Assembly resolution A/RES/73/226 established the UN 2023 Water Conference and resolution A/RES/75/212 details its modalities. In May 2021, the United Nations Secretary-General appointed the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Liu Zhenmin, as the Secretary-General of the Conference. The Secretary-General of the Conference will closely coordinate with UN-Water on the substantive preparations of the Conference.

In September 2021, the UN-Water Members and Partners started to prepare proposals on the themes of the interactive dialogues. The document presents a set of options on possible themes and lists pros and cons of the different options. The proposals emerged from several discussions within the UN-Water network, including at its 35th meeting in October 2021.