High-Level Consultation on Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda - 21-22 March 2013 | The Hague, the Netherlands

The High-Level Meeting of the Global Thematic Consultation on Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda took place from 21-22 March 2013, in The Hague, the Netherlands. The meeting consisted of the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, also called “Wings for Water,” which took place on 21 March, and the celebration of International World Water Day on the theme of water cooperation, which took place on 22 March. The meetings, hosted by the Netherlands, brought together representatives of governments, international organizations, civil society, religious bodies, the private sector and youth, to discuss the outcomes of the Global Thematic Consultation on Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Dutch “Wings for Water” Initiative outcome, the “Wake Up Call on Water.” The high-level segment took place on the afternoon of 22 March with the convening of the High-Level Forum on the Global Thematic Consultation on Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which endorsed the outcomes of the Global Thematic Consultation.

As the final meeting of the Global Thematic Consultation on Water, the High-Level Meeting of the Global Thematic Consultation on Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda convened in The Hague to discuss and endorse the outcomes of the Global Thematic Consultation on Water, as presented in the “Advance Summary of the Consultation’s Synthesis Report,” for submission to the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals. The Synthesis Report brings together outcomes from “The World We Want” web platform consultations and two meetings, one held in Monrovia, Liberia, and the other in Geneva, Switzerland.

On Thursday 21 March, participants convened for the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Presentation and Discussion of the Results of the Global Thematic Consultation on Water. The day began with a high-level opening session, with keynotes by HRH Willem-Alexander, The Prince of Orange, the Netherlands, and Chair, UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, Chair, High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (HLP).

Two roundtable sessions took place in the morning and afternoon on water and poverty reduction, equity and sustainability, and on taking action towards inclusive finance for water, sanitation and hygiene, water resources management, and wastewater management and water quality. The day concluded with a presentation on how input from the roundtables would feedback into the Global Thematic Consultation on Water and the presentation of the final “Wake Up Call On Water.”

On Friday 22 March, participants convened for the celebration of World Water Day, including the High-Level Forum on the Global Thematic Consultation on Water. The morning began with an opening session on water cooperation, followed by four thematic breakout sessions on: water cooperation is key to poverty eradication, social equity and gender equity; water cooperation creates economic benefits; water cooperation helps preserve water resources and protect the environment; and water cooperation builds peace. In the afternoon, the high-level segment of the meeting, the High-Level Forum on Global Thematic Consultation on Water convened, discussing how to raise the profile of water cooperation and endorsing the outcome of the Global Thematic Consultation on Water and submitting them to the HLP.

This report summarizes the presentations and discussions held over the two days.

The Summary of this meeting is now available

in PDF format at http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/sd/crsvol208num8e.pdf

and in HTML format at http://www.iisd.ca/post2015/water/hlcw/html/crsvol208num8e.html