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.
At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, a multimedia Water Pavilion is hosted between 1 – 12 November 2021. The Water Pavilion programme offers a wide-ranging and inclusive series of events demonstrating the numerous ways that water is enabling transformative climate action – at all … Read more
Even before COVID-19 struck, progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 was alarmingly off track. According to the latest UN report, the current rate of progress on achieving water and sanitation for all will have to quadruple to meet the 2030 deadline. On Friday, 9 July 2021, a virtual SDG 6 … Read more
The SDG 6 Summary Progress Update 2021 report provides the latest available country, region and world data on all of the SDG 6 global indicators. As such, it outlines how far we have come in implementing the different aspects of SDG 6 in the different parts of the world, and where we are lagging beh … Read more
On 22 March, 2021, World Water Day will be celebrated in an online event. The World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis, and a core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 20 … Read more
Prior to World Water Day (March 22), a high-level meeting will be hosted online to inspire action while drawing attention to the 2021 theme: Valuing Water. The High-Level meeting on the implementation of the water-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda will be hosted on 18 March, 2021. Water i … Read more
