LETTER DATED 6 JULY 2018 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF TAJIKISTAN TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
We, the participating representatives of states and organizations,
Recalling the United Nations General Assembly resolution 71/222 of 21 December
2016, by which it proclaimed the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable
Development”, 2018–2028 (hereinafter referred to as the “Water Action Decade”),
Also recalling the United Nations General Assembly resolution 70/1 of
25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development”, which reiterates the importance of “ensuring availability
and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” as a Sustainable
Development Goal to be achieved by 2030, the underpinning importance of water
related issues in other goals and targets in order to reach the overall Agenda and the
centrality of the “No One Left Behind” principle,
Further recalling resolutions 68/157 of 18 December 2013 on the human right to
safe drinking water and sanitation and 70/169 of 17 December 2015 on the human rights
to safe drinking water and sanitation of the United Nations General Assembly,
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Taking note of the efforts and extensive work carried out by the High-Level Panel
on Water,
Acknowledging the additional challenges facing countries with water scarcity and
concerned with the impacts of such challenges, including inter alia their ability to
achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,
Highlighting the challenge of rapid population growth and the importance of water
management in disaster risk reduction in mitigating and adapting to climate change and
in ensuring ecosystem protection, particularly of watersheds in mountain areas,
wetlands, deltas and in coastal zones, in order to increase the resilience of communities,
and noting that water management can contribute, as applicable, to the implementation
of relevant multilateral agreements, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015–2030 and the 2015 Paris Agreement within the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change,
Stressing the need to manage in an integrated and sustainable manner water
resources from source to sea around the water, food, energy and environment nexus,
including by promoting the concept of circular economy and other relevant solutions to
reduce, recycle and safely reuse water,
Expressing concern about the current and projected adverse impacts of climate
change on water resources and sanitation, as well as the challenges posed by pathogens,
nutrients and emerging pollutants, including pharmaceuticals and microplastics, that are
threatening human health and the quality of surface and groundwater,
Bearing in mind the need to implement integrated urban water management,
including sustainable waste management systems, in line with the New Urban Agenda,
as part of Integrated Water Resource Management, by implementing inter alia nature-
based solutions, decentralized wastewater management and improved rainwater
management and harvesting,
Recognizing that, according to Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report
2018 on Water and Sanitation, the world is not on track to achieve water-related
Sustainable Development Goals and targets at the global level by 2030 at the current
rate of progress,
Recognizing that effective lake and river basin organizations, water planning and
target setting at the appropriate levels, including of drinking water supply and sanitation
safety, are key to the sustainable management of water resources and require
coordination of actors, development of infrastructure, benefit sharing and harmonization
of national and basin wide development agendas,
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Recognizing that parliamentarians and citizens make an important contribution to
water governance alongside national governments, as well as regional and local
authorities, as applicable,
Reemphasizing the key role of women for the achievement of Sustainable
Development Goal 6, their insufficient representation in water-related decision-making
processes and among water professionals at all levels, the disproportionate burden
carried by many women and girls for water collection and use, their specific needs of
safe water and sanitation facilities and the need to create an enabling environment to
address these issues,
Acknowledging the importance of ensuring water availability for civilians and
protecting civilian water infrastructure and service delivery in the event of conflicts and
natural disasters, as well as for refugee and migrant populations living in informal or
inadequate housing,
Looking forward to the Mid-Term Review of the International Decade for Action
“Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028, as an important milestone focused
on the goals of the Decade and water-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets,
Noting the ongoing efforts by UN-Water in responding to the expectations of the
international community, supporting the monitoring of the SDG 6 targets and providing
coordination among its members,
Also noting the possibility to create an International Center for the Water Action
Decade in Dushanbe with the support of the Government of Tajikistan and other
interested parties to sustain the process towards implementation of the goals of the Water
Action Decade and the organization of Water Action Decade Conferences,
Hereby reiterate our determination to achieve the objectives of the Water Action
Decade and declare to:
Promote, at the local, national, regional and global levels, opportunities for public
and private investment in infrastructure, including through the development of
innovative financial instruments and mechanisms, and seek to increase the efficiency of
investment to conserve and sustainably manage freshwater, wastewater and water
contained in soil and vegetation, support community-based efforts and develop
non-conventional water resources, such as water reuse and desalination;
Strengthen the capacities, resources and skills, as well as improve knowledge
generation and exchange of practices, to support national and local governments in
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in those countries and for
those people furthest behind;
Make concentrated and coordinated efforts to build innovative, robust, flexible and
fair systems for source to sea Integrated Water Resources Management, to increase
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water use efficiency and productivity, particularly in agriculture, energy, tourism, urban
and rural development, as well as industry, to better appreciate the value of water and
associated ecosystem services, to reduce emissions and the transport of hazardous
substances and to take into consideration the serious impacts on the quality and
availability of water resources caused from extractive activities;
Commit to reduce inequalities in access and ensure affordability of safe drinking
water and sanitation services that are basic human needs, essential to the health and
well-being of families and communities, to avoid any kind of discrimination and to
support countries and communities with specific needs and people suffering from
poverty and in vulnerable situations, especially women, children, the elderly, people
with disabilities and those living in remote areas, going beyond the household,
particularly targeting schools, healthcare facilities and workplaces;
Improve communication and access to practical, water-related information and
funding to empower communities at all levels, through clear messages, to promote
participation, equity, improved accountability and social innovation, supporting the
engagement of civil society representatives in decision-making processes related to the
rational, transparent and sustainable use and management of water resources and the
provision of water-related services;
Step up the efforts to develop tools, build institutional and human resources
capacity, foster technology exchange, improve data that are appropriately disaggregated,
disseminate knowledge, including traditional knowledge, skills and enhanced scientific
and technical know-how to better understand the water cycle, contribute to the
identification of appropriate solutions, including through South-South and triangular
cooperation and improved research, education and training with a local perspective and
special attention to children and youth;
Facilitate partnerships at all levels among different kinds of stakeholders,
including public authorities, the private sector, civil society organizations and academia,
with the engagement of women, youth, local communities and indigenous peoples, as
appropriate, to develop and implement actions that address problems related to water
and sanitation at suitable levels and to promote the all-of-society engagement necessary
to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Prioritize water diplomacy and transboundary cooperation in line with the
applicable principles of international law by strengthening inter alia the means of
information and data exchange, open and inclusive multi-level and intersectoral
dialogue in order to foster mutually beneficial solutions and institutional arrangements,
such as basin commissions and plans, among riparian countries, for the development of
transboundary river basins, lakes and aquifers and for protection of ecosystems and
recharge zones;
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Promote actions to address water-related disasters by significantly decreasing loss
of life and damage as percentage of gross domestic product, by treating investment in
disaster risk reduction as integral to expanding capacity for socioeconomic growth, by
integrating science into policy, by substantially increasing investment in disaster risk
reduction and establishing financing and investment principles and by supporting
alliance of alliances in recognition that climate change may exacerbate water-related
disasters, contributing to promote action for climate change adaptation and disaster risk
reduction activities;
Recall the United Nations Secretary General’s plan for the Water Action Decade
2018–2028 as a blueprint to coordinate and catalyze action throughout the Decade and
invite the United Nations Secretary General to report to the Member States about the
progress made by the United Nations and its entities with the implementation of this
action plan;
Note the intention of the Government of Tajikistan to hold Water Action Decade
Conferences in Dushanbe on a biennial basis and to keep organizing them in an open
and inclusive manner and invite all states, the United Nations, including UN-Water, and
other relevant stakeholders, to actively participate in this Dushanbe Process;
Invite countries to consider the establishment of Water Action Decade centres and
partnerships on specific themes, such as one for water and disasters, or at the regional
level and use the already existing water-related centres, programs and partnerships, such
as those under the auspices of the United Nations and its entities, including UNESCO
Centers and Chairs, as useful mechanisms to enhance dialogue, cooperation, technical
and scientific transfer and development for the effective implementation of the Decade;
Further invite all Member States to consider appointing water champions, who will
play a mobilizing role for the Water Action Decade;
Strongly recommend Member States to prepare and adopt national strategies and
plans and implement actions for the achievement of the water-related Sustainable
Development Goals and targets, as well as the goals of the Water Action Decade;
Ask the United Nations, within existing resources, regional organizations,
International Financial Institutions, philanthropic organizations, the private sector and
development partners to support the implementation of the Water Action Decade,
particularly in developing countries, Least Developed Countries, countries suffering
from water scarcity, Small Island Developing States and Land-Locked Developing
Countries and middle-income countries, considering their specific circumstances;
Request the Government of Tajikistan to present the Chair’s Summary of this
Conference, accompanied by this Declaration, to the 73rd session of the United Nations
General Assembly, to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable
Development and other relevant venues;
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Urge all Member States to actively participate in the preparation process of a
United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Mid-Term Comprehensive Review
of the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–
2028, to be undertaken during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly;
Request the Secretariat of this First High-Level International Conference on the
International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028, to
collect, in collaboration with the International Steering Committee, the actions and
partnerships that were proposed by the participating states and organizations during this
Conference in a document to be entitled “Call for Action and Partnership”;
Invite the participating states and organizations to share the progress made on the
actions and partnerships proposed during this Conference at inter alia the Second Water
Action Decade Conference, and as a contribution towards the Mid-Term Review of the
Decade;
Decide that the theme of the Second Water Action Decade Conference shall be
“catalyzing water action and partnership at the local, national, regional and global levels”
to achieve the goals of the Water Action Decade and water-related Sustainable
Development Goals and targets;
Express our sincere appreciation to the Government of Tajikistan for hosting the
Water Action Decade Conferences in Dushanbe and for the warm welcome and
generous hospitality extended to all participants; we also express our sincere
appreciation to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the
United Nations Development Programme, UN-Water and other partners for their
support.
(...) It was further highlighted water and sanitation safety
planning at utility or community level to lead the way in transforming drinking-water
and sanitation service provision. (...) Finally, it was emphasized efforts should be taken to
enhance the capacity of water utilities and local governments through capacity building
and financial decentralization to meet the challenges of rapid urbanization.
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Action Panel 4.1 on Financing, Investment and Resilient Infrastructure
Co-organized by the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development, the session concluded that financing, investment and resilient
infrastructure under the SDGs aim substantially higher than the Millennium
Development Goals, and therefore there is a need for a shift under these new
circumstances.

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