World leaders, members of civil society, businesses, and other stakeholders are gathering at the UN 2023 Water Conference from March 22 to 24 at the UN Headquarters in New York to make audacious commitments to address the global water crisis in light of the mounting pressures on water caused by rising consumption demands, increased pollution, and climate change.
In his opening remarks at the conference on Wednesday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, said: “This is more than a conference on water. It is a conference on today’s world seen from the perspective of its most important resource.
“This conference must represent a quantum leap in the capacity of Member States and the international community to recognise and act upon the vital importance of water to our world’s sustainability and as a tool to foster peace and international co-operation.”
Read Also: Brazil drives out gold miners from Amazon rainforest
Also in his opening statement, the King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, said, “During this conference, we want to get the water wheel spinning. “We won’t rest until water is given the place it rightly deserves on global agendas and policy programmes. We will bring all our commitments, pledges and actions together in a Water Action Agenda.”
The Conference, which is being co-hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Tajikistan, has been hailed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance the Water Action Agenda and bring about the achievement of the water-related goals and targets that have been internationally agreed upon, including those found in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Conference is expected to result in the Water Action Agenda, a collection of commitments from Member States and other stakeholders that aims to present game-changing solutions to accelerate progress on SDG 6.
Story was adapted from Enviro News
