Water and sanitation events during HLPF

Events known to date

(list non-exhaustive and may be updated)

Monday 9 July

• Global Progress on Water and Sanitation
  • Organizer: UN-Water
  • Date and Time:  Monday 9 July 2018; 18:30 – 20:00
  • Venue: Conference Room 7 in the UN Conference Building 
  • Short description: UN-Water has recently published the SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation to provide input to the HLPF in its in-depth review of SDG 6. The report represents a joint position from the UN family on the global status on SDG 6 and other water-related targets. The presentation will give participants the opportunity to discuss the findings in the light of the HLPF theme for 2018 “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”, take stock, discuss the challenges faced and opportunities ahead, as well as the lessons learned by countries and other stakeholders for the successful implementation of SDG 6
  • Programme
  • Watch the session on UN web TV.

• Water education as the vehicle to achieve SDG 6a
  • Organizers: IHE Delft, WHO, OECD and UNESCO 
  • Date and time: Monday 9 July 18:30-20:00
  • Short description: The provision of education on water-related issues at all levels and for all, is essential to reach water security and sustainable development. This entails the promotion of Water Education and Capacity Building transdisciplinary approaches and the provision of the required knowledge, skills and values necessary to attain water sustainability. A holistic approach encompassing all levels of water education is needed, addressing its tertiary and professional dimensions and providing training for policy makers and the mass media, as well as school, vocational and technical education. Unfortunately, a clear status of water education in many countries is not available yet, nor the understanding whether there are sufficiently well-trained staff to study, assess, govern, plan, operate, manage, use, develop and maintain freshwater systems. One of the main findings from the UN SDG 6 Synthesis Report is that the “serious lack of institutional and human capacity across the water sector is constraining progress, particularly in least developed countries.” This information is not available in a global and comprehensive way. How do we know whether the water related curricula for the new generation of water technicians, water scientists and water policy-makers are in phase with today’s rapidly evolving world? The side event will discuss the following questions.
    • How to improve our knowledge to bring the supply and demand side of education closer to one another?
    • How can we increase investments in education?
    • How to assess whether the water related curricula are adapted to the needs of the new generation?
    • How to stimulate the development of projects and initiatives on capacity building for the achievement of water and water-related targets in the upcoming SDG framework?
  • Programme

• 'The Water Effect' Exhibition and Launch Reception (open to all)
  • Organizers: WaterAid/Water.org / H&M Foundation / Permanent Mission of Sweden
  • Date and time: Monday 9 July 18:00-19:30
  • Venue: 1B Neck area (near Vienna Café), UN Conference Building
  • Short description: WaterAid, Water.org and H&M Foundation are hosting a reception to launch an exhibition entitled ‘The Water Effect’, which will be up at UN Headquarters throughout the duration of the HLPF. The exhibition demonstrates how providing safe water and sanitation is critical to achieving most other SDGs; and intends to raise awareness of the global water crisis and demonstrate how affordable access to WASH can transform lives and create stronger communities. The photos will tell a joint photo story of hope, opportunity, lives and livelihoods transformed around SDG 6. Following brief opening remarks from the co-conveners, the reception attendees will be encouraged to engage with the exhibition and informally network with each other. 

  • RSVP here.

• Vanishing Waters and Drying Lands: Impacts on Migration
  • Organizer: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • Sponsor: Permanent Mission of the Somali Republic to the United Nations, New York
  • Co-Organizers: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), United Nations University- Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), UN-Water
  • Date and time: Monday 9 July 18:30-20:30
  • Venue: Conference Room 5 in the UN Conference Building
  • Short description: This event will focus on two dimensions of the migration, environment and climate change nexus, bringing together two of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under discussion at the 2018 High Level Political Forum (HLPF): water (SDG6) and land (SDG15). The event seeks to identify the linkages between water, land and migration and explore potential policy responses under the SDGs framework. Through Goal 6 on sustainable management of water and sanitation and Goal 15 on protecting and restoring life on land, the SDGs have laid down an important foundation for addressing the key linkages between climate change-induced migration, land and water. The event will also offer an opportunity to explore how we can break existing silos and find possible synergies across the migration, water and land governance frameworks.

  • Concept note.

Tuesday 10 July

• Reducing inequalities through urgent action on WASH
  • Organizers: WaterAid, WSSCC, Center for Economic and Social Rights, Permanent Missions of Bolivia, Nepal, Mozambique
  • Date and time: Tuesday 10 July 13:15-14:45
  • Venue: Japan Society, Auditorium, 333 E. 47th St, between 1st and 2nd Aveny
  • Short description: Bringing together Member States (both implementing and donor, ‘developed’ and ‘developing’) with leaders in WASH action, this event will frame positive examples of rights-based implementation of WASH and highlight its role as an enabler for the 2030 Agenda as a whole. Through sharing case studies and learning from implementation experiences from Member States (particularly where outcomes contribute to improved outcomes for women and girls and other marginalised groups), this event offers a key moment to identify key overlaps between equitable and affordable access to WASH and making progress on some of the most intractable goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. 
  • RSVP here

• Ensuring Intergenerational Policy dialogues for the achievement of SDG 6
  • Organizers: Water Youth Network (SDG6 Focal point within Major group of Children and youth), UNESCO-IHP, UN-Water and WYPW
  • Partners: UN-Major Group for Children and Youth, Dutch Youth Council (TBC), Science and Education Policy Association
  • Date and time: Tuesday 10 July 13:15-14:30
  • Venue: Conference Room A, UN Conference Building
  • Short description: Youth engagement in water governance is an essential contribution to achieve sustainable water security. Increasingly, youth and young water professionals are using innovative ways to contribute to the achievement of Goal 6. Youth are more than just beneficiaries of the 2030 Agenda; they are key actors in finding and implementing solutions to the current and future water challenges. Therefore, the active engagement of young women and men, being knowledge holders and innovators, in decision making processes in the water sector is key in shaping the future we want for all and ensuring that no one is left behind. It is important to move beyond the recognition of the contribution of young scientists, researchers, innovators and knowledge holders (including indigenous knowledge) to SDG 6, to finding ways of mainstreaming the application of their innovation and the use of their knowledge and the data they produce in decision making processes at all levels. The Youth Statement of the World Water Forum 8 (WWF), held in Brazil earlier this year, called for creating “legitimate spaces for the representation, inclusion and participation of young people and youth groups in high level political decision-making and organizational processes…”. One way of addressing this recommendation is by providing greater support to build the capacity of youth networks and to ensure gender and regional balance of youth leaders in global water policy processes.
  • Programme

• Driving gains in health and nutrition through safe and sustainable WASH services
  • Organizers: France, Mali, Zambia; Action Against Hunger, Save the Children UK, WaterAid; Global Taskforce on Cholera Control; UNICEF; World Bank; Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN); Sanitation and Water for All (SWA); French Water Partnership
  • Date and time: Tuesday 10 July 18:30-20:00
  • Venue: Conference Room 12, UN Conference Building
  • Short description: Achieving the transformational shift set out by the SDGs towards sustainable and resilient societies requires fundamental changes in how different sectors coordinate, align and harmonize efforts towards the shared vision of the 2030 Agenda. In particular SDG 6 on water, sanitation and hygiene for all underpins progress towards multiple SDGs, particularly SDG2 on ending malnutrition and SDG3 on health for all. Improvements in WASH have multiple and wide-ranging health benefits, whether reducing the risk of diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera, improving nutrition status, or enhancing the delivery of quality health care in facilities, particularly with regards to maternal and newborn health. This event will bring together Member States and partners working across WASH, health and nutrition sectors to share lessons and discuss challenges, creating a peer-learning experience and fostering greater multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration. 

  • RSVP to MeganWilson-Jones@wateraid.org

• Hydrology towards sustainable resilient societies
  • Organizers: UNESCO-IHP and WMO
  • Date and time: Tuesday 10 July 2018 at 18:30 – 20:00 
  • Venue: Conference Room B in the UN Conference Building
  • Short description: The side event will showcase the role of various elements including education, human capacity, science technology and innovation as well as hydrological services in building sustainable societies and contributing to the SDGs, in particular Goals 6, 7, 11, and 15. The side event will also provide concrete inputs on how knowledge and education along with hydrological services and capacity development can support smart science based decision making.
  • Programme

Wednesday 11 July

• Pushing menstrual health on the 2030 Agenda
  • Organizers: MH Alliance, Simavi, WSSCC, Global Citizen, WASH United, at the Hilton Millenium One UN
  • Date and time: Wednesday 11 July 10:00-11:30
  • Venue: Hilton Millennium One (TBC)
  • Short description: Menstruation is a sign of female health and vitality and should no longer be shrouded in fear, shame or embarrassment. Dispelling the myths, taboos, and stigma around menstruation has been proven to provide a powerful entry point to empower women and girls, change practices and remove restrictions. This upholds the dignity of women and girls and is essential for them to reach their full potential. For this transformation to happen all governments must articulate menstrual hygiene management in relevant policies. Ensuring policy changes are supported by dedicated budgets and resources for policy implementation, as well as capacity development in institutions including schools. This side event will mobilise government stakeholders, (i)NGOs and experts on MH to advocate for inclusion of MH on the SDG 6 agenda.

• Why robust multi-stakeholder national accountability mechanisms are essential for achieving SDG6
  • Organizers: WSSCC, SWA, UNDP, FANSA, FANMEX, ANEW, EWP, Coalition Eau, Watershed Consortium,  The Governments of Kenya, Nigeria, Togo, Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Permanent Mission to the UN
  • Date and time: Wednesday 11 July 16:00-17:30 (followed by a cocktail)
  • Venue: Permanent Mission of the Government of Sri Lanka to the UN in New York, 820 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor, between 44th and 45th Sts
  • Short description: The findings of a Global Study on National Accountability Mechanisms for SDG 6, conducted in 26 countries, reveals that three years after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Agenda, the right mechanisms for holding governments to account on progress towards SDG 6 are insufficiently in place. This side event will bring together Member States and other partners working together to achieve SDG 6. Using the findings of a recent global review on the effectiveness of national accountability mechanism for SDG6. The event will bring diverse perspectives (governments, CSOs and development partners) to the discussion and outline the potential opportunities for strengthening national accountability and CSO engagement in progressing towards SDG 6.
  • Programme
  • RSVP here

• Building resilience by ensuring access to water and sanitation for all: Experiences with human rights-based approaches.
  • Organizers: Permanent Missions of Uruguay, Permanent Missions of Portugal, Permanent Missions of Cap Verde, Permanent Missions of El Salvador, Franciscans International, OHCHR, UN-Water
  • Date and time: Wednesday 11 July 13:15-14:30 
  • Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room 4
  • Programme
  • RSVP here

• Why robust multi-stakeholder national accountability mechanisms are essential for achieving SDG.
  • Organizers: African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW), Coalition Eau, End Water Poverty, (EWP), Freshwater Action Network Mexico (FANMEX), Freshwater Action Network South Asia (FANSA), Government of Kenya, Government of Nigeria, Government of Sri Lanka, Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, UNDP, WSSCC, Watershed Consortium
  • Date and time: Wednesday 11 July 16:00-17:30
  • Venue: Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, 820 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York
  • Programme
  • RSVP here

• Water and faith communities towards achieving SDG 6
  • Organizers: World Council of Churches (Ecumenical Water Network), Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Global Water Partnership, PaRD Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (tbc)
  • Date and time: Wednesday 11 July 14:00-16:00
  • Venue: UN Church Centre, 777 United Nations Plaza
  • Short description: This event aiming to foster stronger partnerships and dialogue between faith-based organizations and the broader water sector to achieve SDG 6 (water and sanitation) together in the context  of Synthesis Report on SDG 6.
    • To achieve the SDGs in just 12 years requires strong partnerships. Faith and spirituality are foundational sources and drivers of behavior;   Moreover, in rural and remote locations, or where governments are unable or otherwise fail to provide essential services, faith-based organizations and networks are often relied upon to fill essential service gaps. This event will begin with short convocations from several high-level faith leaders active in championing wise water management towards SDG 6.
    • This event will showcase the good practices and lessons learnt on  WASH sector by the faith communities including indigenous communities, demonstrating diverse opportunities to actively bridge between secular/faith-based/interfaith based communities - through water. Themes including ecological stewardship, waste water reuse, poverty elimination and rural development will all be addressed through a  Panel Discussion. This  will be weighed in with the recently released Synthesis report on SDG 6.  Finally this event will also explore collaborations with the  UN Inter Agency Task Force on Religion.

Thursday 12 July

• Are women meaningfully involved in implementing SDG 6+ in the national plans?
  • Organizers: Permanent Mission of Hungary to the UN, Women for Water Partnership and contributors: International Federation of Business and Professional Women, Soroptimist International, NGO coordination CSW/ NY, Un Women, “Watershed”/Simavi
  • Date and time: Thursday 12 July 13:15 - 14:30
  • Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room 8
  • Short description: Agenda 2030 and the SDGs give unique guidance both on women’s empowerment (SDG5) and the importance of “ water”(SDG6) and the connection between the two. WfWP and partners analyzed the voluntary national reports (2016-2018) on the combination of the two: did countries address the joined implementation of SDG5 and 6? Or are actions lagging behind their rhetoric? The session aims to attract attention to the combined agenda and deliberate on the ways forward

• An NGO Toolbox to enhance implementation of the 2030 Agenda towards sustainable and resilient communities
  • Organizers: WaterAid, International Women’s Health Coalition, European Union, Namibia (invited)
  • Date and time: Thursday 12 July 15:00-17:00
  • Venue: Conference Room 4 in the UN Conference building

• The contribution of transboundary water cooperation to achieving the sustainable development goals – how far have we come, and what still needs to be done?
  • Organizers: The Governments of Senegal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the UN, UNECE, UNESCO, UN-Water
  • Date and time: Thursday 12 July 13:15 - 14:30
  • Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room 7
  • Short description: Transboundary water cooperation is a critical component to ensuring water and sanitation for all (SDG6) and an important requirement and catalyst for achieving other SDGs on poverty, food security, health and wellbeing, sustainable energy, climate action, ecosystem protection and peace. In transboundary basins where cooperation is lacking, it will be hard to achieve sustainable development for all.Building on the outcomes of the first SDG indicator 6.5.2 reporting exercise, the side event will discuss the following:
    - Where do we stand on transboundary water cooperation? What are the progress, gaps and challenges?
    - What kind of good practices and success stories can be replicated to accelerate progress?
    - How external factors, such as the global water conventions and financing, can support negotiation and effective implementation of transboundary water arrangements?

• A rights-based approach to menstrual hygiene management
  • Organizers: WaterAid, International Women's Health Coalition, European Union (TBC)
  • Date and time: Thursday 12 July 3-5PM
  • Venue: TBC
  • Short description: This event will examine the leadership of the SDG6 sector on menstrual health and hygiene to highlight multi-sectoral opportunities to protect the basic rights of women’s and girls’ to safety, adequate housing, sufficient food, education and more, by focusing initially on menstruation. It will examine the interlinkages between menstrual hygiene management, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights to drive action towards equitable achievement of these goals and targets. It will also focus on the practical and policy implications of increased multi-sectoral attention to the needs and rights of women and girls during menstruation, and identify recommended shifts so that leadership of the issue is better shared across sectors, thereby enabling the water and sanitation and health sectors to concretely contribute to gender equality. And finally, this event will provide guidance on how to improve integration of water, sanitation, hygiene, health and gender equality sectors as fundamental to enable the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  • RSVP here

• Briefing Session : The role of water utilities in the implementation of SDG 6 : Clean Water and Sanitation and the New Urban Agenda
  • Organizers: The Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations, The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Tajikistan to the United Nations
  • Date and time: Thursday 12 July 15:30 - 16:00
  • Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room 8
  • Short description: Cities are complex and water is only one of many perspectives that need to be taken into account in promoting “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” urbanization. Nevertheless, the foundation that sound water management provides for all aspects of sustainable urban development needs to be adequately reflected in the frameworks that will guide urban development in the coming decades, namely SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation as well as the New Urban Agenda. To drive this progressive urban agenda, it is critical that water and sanitation services are universally accessible and affordable, in particular for vulnerable populations. This session aims at briefing Member States and their representatives to the United Nations in New York on the role of water utilities in the implementation of SDG 6 and on the different aspects of urban water management. This Briefing Session is organized back to back to the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) taking place in New York from 9 to 18 July 2018.
  • Programme

Friday 13 July

• SDG6 and Leave No Woman Behind: Removing the barriers for all women to water, sanitation and hygiene
  • Organizers: Grey Panthers, GCAP, A4SD, Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities, Stakeholder Group on Ageing, WaterAid
  • Date and time: Friday, 13 July, 12:30 - 14:30
  • Venue: AARP office 750 Third Avenue, 31st Floor
  • RVSP here

Monday 16 July

• Making the most of SDG 6 implementation – for benefits from source to sea
  • Organizers: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Swedish Ministry for Environment and Energy, UNDP, FAO, Delta Alliance, Action Platform for Source to Sea Management.
  • Date and time: Monday, 16 July, lunch (tbc)
  • Venue: Permanent mission of Sweden to the UN, 885 Second Avenue (tbc)
  • Short description: This event will present priority areas for action and discuss how the High Level Political Forum can lead the way in terms of stressing the need to consider all downstream stakeholders and ecosystems when implementing SDG 6. The event will explore what is necessary to ensure that future implementation of SDG 6 also contributes to achieving SDG 14, identify opportunities for collaboration and provide recommendations to countries, funding partners and international organizations to support coordinated SDG implementation. In particular, the event will focus on those aspects that are dependent upon actions upstream in the source-to-sea continuum, and the type of relations and conversations that are needed to instill such action. For instance, how to create the ability to assess and account for downstream benefits from upstream investments, which will substantially increase the cost recovery potential of such investments?

• Women Walk for Water stunt and photo-op
  • Organizers: WaterAid
  • Date and time: Monday 16 July 19:30 - 21:30
  • Venue: From Central Park to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (47th Street & 1st Avenue)
  • RSVP to KathrynTobin@WaterAid.org

• There Is No Planet B: Let’s protect this one
  • Organizers: UN Environment and Google
  • Date and time: Monday 16 July 13:15 - 14:30
  • Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room F
  • Short description: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an ambitious road map laid out by countries. It is underpinned by environmental protection, and yet information and data are greatly lacking or unavailable to decision-makers. UN Environment, as the global custodian for the environment, is tasked with implementing the environmental side
    of this Agenda, which includes changes to water bodies like lakes and rivers, land use including deforestation, coasts and oceans. In order to help fill critical data gaps, UN Environment is partnering with NASA, ESA, JRC and others, and will be announcing a new partnership with Google to provide data on environmental change. This high-level event will feature leaders from the UN, Member States, the private sector, big data, cities and NGOs to discuss and demonstrate the power of land and water restoration efforts for cities and other populations.
  • Programme

Tuesday 17 July

• Results of the 8th World Water Forum
  • Organizers: World Water Council and Government of Brazil.
  • Date and time: Tuesday, 17 July, 18:30-20:00
  • Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room 8

• Linking SDG 6 and 13: Ensuring climate resilient water and sanitation services for all
  • Organizers: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and UNICEF.
  • Date and time: Tuesday, 17 July, 14:15- 15:15
  • Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room 4
  • Short description: The event will bring together the key players fighting to ensure universal access to safe water and sanitation (as per SDG 6) and protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change (SDG 13).
    A plenary discussion will provide an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the next steps in ensuring climate resilient WASH services for all.
  • Programme.
  • RSVP to amarlin@unicef.org

• The Launch of the Valuing Water Initiative: Valuing Water throughout the 2030 Agenda
  • Organizers: Permanent missions of Mexico, Permanent missions of Peru, The Permanent Missions of Bangladesh, Kingdom of Netherlands, World Bank Group.
  • Date and time: Tuesday, 17 July, 18:30- 20:00
  • Venue: UN Headquarters South Dining Room
  • Short description: The discussion will take into consideration the findings and recommendations of the High- Level Panel on Water, the Action Plan of the Water Decade and the Outcome Document of the Dushanbe Conference. The recommendations of the High-Level Event will be documented in an Outcome Document for further use.The objective of this event is to:
    • Share the High Level Panel on Water’s recommendations on valuing water and ways forward to put these into practice; 
    • Share initiatives of “early movers” who recognize the valuing water approach as an opportunity to bring better practices to scale and resolve diverse water challenges; and
    • Express political support for Valuing Water, and inspire and guide Member States and stakeholders to value water better and accelerate the achievement of SDG 6 and
      beyond.

• • Programme
  • Invitation, RSVP here

Wednesday 18 July

• Corporate water stewardship's contribution to the achievement of SDG6
  • Organizers: UN Global Compact.
  • Date and time: Wednesday, 18 July, 14:00-16:00
  • Venue: AB-InBev offices 250 Park Avenue, New York
  • Short description: The session focuses primarily on SDG 6 and 17, looking at interconnections needed to bring about transformative change that includes a key focus on the role of the business sector working with others to drive local change on water issues particularly in the face of growing water stress.
  • Programme.

Thursday 19 July

•  Presentation of Outcomes of the Dushanbe High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028
  • Organizers: Permanent missions of Tajikistan, Permanent missions of Egypt, Jamaica (TBC), Russia, Canada, Thailand, UN DESA, UNESCO, World Bank and Finance Center for South-South Cooperation
  • Date and time: Thursday, 19 July 1:15-2:45
  • Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room 11

Events with no communicated date

• Global Water Partnership and SIWI: Building a resilient future through water - Water, a driving force for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• Organizers: GWP, SIWI, The Resilience Shift, The World Bank
• Short Description: This session aims to:
  • Raise awareness of water as an underlying key success factor for reaching multiple global agendas (especially the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement);
  • Raise Member States’ awareness of the importance of prioritising investments in water programmes and ensuring that water and sanitation issues are well-addressed and covered in policy reform and other sectors (urban planning, agriculture, energy, health, environment, climate, transport, infrastructure, etc.);
  • Present and react on the recommendations published in the SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation published by UNESCO-WWAP, under the auspices of UN-Water, especially when it comes to the interlinkages between the SDGs;
  • Present the outcomes and recommendations of the United Nations and World Bank High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) report and those of the International High-Level Conference on International Decade for Action, 'Water for Sustainable Development,' 2018-2028, that both call for collective action;
  • Identify Member States who are interested or already engaged in placing water at the heart of resilience strategies.

Events to be confirmed

• UNICEF: Will focus on Early Childhood development and other events.
• CEO Water Mandate: Side event on water stewardship.
• WWF: Possible side event with CEO Water Mandate.
• UN Environment: Exhibition and side event with FAO, UN Forum on Forest.
• OHCHR: Side event on SDG 6 and SDG 11
• WBCSD:  Launch of WASH Pledge impact report during HLPF.
• IISD: Will be present with the Earth Negotiation Bulletin team - Knowledge hub will be active.

The #HLPF4Water campaign

The French Water Partnership has launched a campaign called #HLPF4Water to highlight some key figures related to current water challenges.
The campaign is taking place on Twitter from the 2nd to 18th of July, and resources are available here.