UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) upholds the development pillar of the UN Secretariat, headed by the UN Secretary General. Based at the United Nations headquarters in New York, UN DESA supports deliberations in the UN General Assembly and UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the implementation of the decision of these bodies, including on water and sanitation related issues.
Norm-setting
UN DESA facilitates major global conferences and summits, as mandated by UN Member States. UN DESA serves as the secretariat for the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the main United Nations platform on sustainable development, and it has a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level. In 2018 the HLPF reviewed in-depth SDG 6 on water and sanitation. Currently UN DESA supports the implementation of the “International Decade (2018–2028) for Action – Water for Sustainable Development” and related UN Conference on the midterm review which will take place 22 – 24 March 2023 in New York. UN DESA also supports interagency coordination on water and sanitation by designating the UN-Water Secretary and providing policy advise.
On 13 July 2022, a SDG 6 Special Event will be hosted during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2022 at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. A few months later, March 2023, the international community will gather in New York for the most important water conferen … Read more
In its resolution 73/226, the United Nations General Assembly decided to convene in New York, from 22 to 24 March 2023, the United Nations Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development … Read more
The High-Level Symposium on Water, to be held on Monday 27 June in Lisbon during the UN Ocean Conference, is one of the preparatory meetings for the UN-Water Conference 2023. Trying to bridge and explore the interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goals 6 (“Clean Water and Sanitation”) and 14 … Read more
The United Nations Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028 (the UN 2023 Water Conference) will be held from 22 to 24 March 2023, at the UN headquarters in New York. Th … Read more
The UN 2023 Water Conference – formally known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028) – will take place at UN Headquarters in New York, 22-24 March 2023, co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands. … Read more
