Global norms and capacity building: Training and capacity development for safe drinking water

WHO provides training and capacity development on climate resilient safely managed drinking water to countries focusing on strengthening of national standards for drinking water quality, strengthening water quality surveillance systems and implementation of water safety plans (WSP) for large and small water supplies. WHO works with regulators specifically via RegNet and works in alignment with keys partners such as UNICEF, WaterAid and the World Bank and co-convenes the UN-Water expert group on WASH.

Collaborating Entity(ies)

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

International Water Association (IWA)

WaterAid

Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN)

Contributing Action Number

CA2.26

Primary Entry Point

2: Engage better for countries

Additional Entry Point(s)

4: Accelerate progress and transformational change

Output(s)

Output 2.1: Expertise and resources are fully leveraged by the UN system to support countries, with emphasis on the water and sanitation needs of developing countries

Output 4.4: Enabling environments for water and sanitation innovation are supported by the UN system, including policies, partnerships, and transfer of technology to remove barriers, with emphasis on technology transfer needs of developing countries

SDG 6 Target(s)

SDG target 6.2: Achieve access to sanitation and hygiene and end open defecation

Type of Engagement

Capacity development and technical assistance

Geographical Scope

Global level

More Information

https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/water-sanitation-and-health/water-safety-and-quality

Leading Entity

World Health Organization (WHO)

United Nations System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation

The Contributing Actions are key initiatives supporting the United Nations System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, aligning individual and joint efforts across UN entities and partnering organizations to advance global water and sanitation goals. These actions are integrated into the Collaborative Implementation Plan (CIP) Results Framework 2025-2028, which provides a structured approach to achieving system-wide impact through coordinated UN efforts.
The Priority Collaborative Actions outlined in the framework focus on enhancing water security, improving governance, strengthening climate resilience, and accelerating progress on sanitation and hygiene. By fostering system-wide collaboration among UN agencies, these actions help drive policy coherence, knowledge sharing, and innovative solutions to address the world’s most pressing water challenges.