Secretary General appoints a new chair for his water and sanitation advisory board

The Secretary-General appointed His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan as the new Chairman of his Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB).  In highlighting the challenges facing the international community in achieving the water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals, the Secretary-General stated that 2.5 billion people around the world still lack access to proper sanitation and 768 million do not have access to improved sources of water.  The Secretary-General commended Prince El Hassan on his leadership in championing global causes and in supporting intercultural dialogue. He has served as Chairman of the Policy Advisory Commission for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and as a Member of the Board of the South Centre. Water management is an issue of central importance to Jordan.

The Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation was established in 2004 to advise the Secretary-General and galvanize action by Governments and international organizations to advance the global water and sanitation agenda.

HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal today made his first speech as the Chairman of UNSGAB. His Royal Highness delivered the keynote speech at the opening session of the World Meteorological Organization and the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation regional stakeholders workshop on the Blue Peace project. Jointly organized, and hosted by, the Royal Scientific Society, the workshop will consider the strategic management of hydrological and meteorological data and information products as part of the Blue Peace Initiative on Water Security in the Middle East.
During his speech, His Royal Highness said: “We live in a region where water has always been an issue. But today, people have no affinity with the water that they use. Is it possible to consider a community of water, energy and the environment?”

The Secretary-General is confident that the new Chairman and the Board members will continue vigorously to address the water and sanitation challenge and mobilize action, resources and political will to improve the lives of billions of people around the world.

In welcoming the new Chairman, he expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for the skilled and untiring efforts of the former Chairman, His Majesty Willem-Alexander, hailing his commitment as a driving force in setting the water and sanitation challenges on the global agenda.

The UNSGAB Secretariat is hosted by DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development.