• From 22 to 24 March, representatives of the 193 UN Member States will meet in New York for a global conference dedicated to water.
  • The official purpose is to take stock of the implementation of the major global goals on water, in particular access for all to safe drinking water and sanitation, one of the Sustainable Development Goals that the world has set for 2030.
  • This summit will not result in any binding agreement, but it could still be historic in allowing for the revision of global water governance. A resource with multiple stakes, but a blind spot for international diplomacy.

The last time was in Mar del Plata (Argentina), in 1977... It has been forty-six years since the United Nations dedicated an international summit to freshwater, a resource that is essential to life and far from being accessible to all.

The situation will be rectified from 22 to 24 March in New York. Sandra Métayer, coordinator of Coalition de l'eau, a federation of French NGOs, warns right away: this conference will not result in any binding agreement for the 193 participating states. "We're not there yet on the water," she says. This does not detract from the fact that this summit is crucial. 20 Minutes takes stock of what to expect.

What water crisis are we talking about?

We turn on the tap, and it flows... "In many developed countries, there were hardly any more questions about water," says Marie-Hélène Aubert, president of the French Water Partnership (PFE), which brings together public and private actors in the sector. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how crucial this resource is and how scarce it is, even in our temperate climates. And the France does not escape conflicts of use. Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transition, must also present this week a "Water Plan" while the lack of rainfall at the beginning of 2023 again suggests a difficult year.

A water crisis incommensurate with that experienced by a large number of countries of the South for decades. Even before talking about uses, Dr. Jean Lapegue, Action Against Hunger's "water" referent, recalls that "2.2 billion people – a quarter of the world's population – do not have access to drinking water, and 3.6 billion – half – are deprived of adequate toilets". Another striking figure: "27% of children who die before the age of 5 die from waterborne diseases (cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery...)".

Yet access to safe drinking water and sanitation was recognized as a human right in 2010. "Ensuring it for all is the sixth of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015," says Jean Lapegue. We are far from that. "107 countries are not on track to meet this target," says Sandra Métayer. Increasing pressures on water and climate change even raise fears in some regions that we are moving away from it.

Why hadn't water had its dedicated conference for forty-six years?

That is not to say that we have not talked about fresh water for nearly half a century in international forums. Marie-Hélène Aubert even has about fifteen UN organizations that deal with her issues. "From the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)," she says.

But that's the whole problem with freshwater: it's treated by everyone, but by no particular authority. "There is no dedicated UN agency, nor is there a binding international treaty or regular summits such as COPs on climate change or biodiversity erosion," Métayer said. As a result, the subject is rarely up to the challenge. This is the starting point for this upcoming conference. "Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, countries have reviewed four to five SDGs each year to take stock of progress," says Sandra Métayer. The one dedicated to water dates from 2018, we had devoted only four hours to it. Several representatives, including the European Union, were moved by this. »



So what can we expect from this New York summit?

"The official purpose is to make a mid-term review of the implementation of the major global objectives on water," says Marie-Hélène Aubert. Not just access to clean water and sanitation. "It will also be an opportunity to review the management of this resource in this context of climate crisis and biodiversity erosion," says the president of the PFE.

In any case, this summit may lead to new voluntary commitments by States, recorded in the Water Action Agenda. But nothing binding. Nevertheless, these three days in New York could go down in history. Marie-Hélène Aubert and Sandra Métayer see in any case a unique opportunity to reform global water governance... And thus avoid that the next conference of its kind takes place in 2069.

The hope is at least that this conference will act on the creation of a UN special envoy on water, as already exists on other key issues. "It would have this essential role to ensure that water is treated as it deserves in all UN forums and summits," explains Marie-Hélène Aubert. "We would also like this special envoy to have a strong political mandate to convene States to regular intergovernmental meetings and ensure that they fulfill their commitments," adds Sandra Métayer. "150 states support this proposal," she said. Pretty good start, then.

What role should France play?

The Water Coalition, Action Against Hunger and Islamic Relief of France list their demands in the campaign "S-Eau-S: commitments, not absent subscribers". "The first is that Emmanuel Macron goes there, which we do not have the guarantee to date," begins Laura Le Floch, of the Islamic Relief of France.

In addition, the France has committed to organizing with Costa Rica, in 2025, a United Nations Ocean Conference. "It would be a very good thing for Emmanuel Macron to announce the addition of a 'freshwater' segment to this event," says Laura Le Floch. And then there are the "One planet summits", these environmental summits bringing together a wide range of actors – State, banks, NGOs, companies – that the France has been organizing regularly since 2017. The last one was held in Gabon in February, focusing on forest preservation. Again, Laura Le Floch would see a declination on fresh water soon.

These NGOs not only expect the France to instil an international dynamic, but above all to set an example. "We have not yet achieved SDG 6," says Jean Lapegue. In metropolitan France, 400,000 people living in precarious housing are not connected to a drinking water distribution or sanitation network. It's even more overseas."

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