Special Session

Objectives
The Special Session will discuss the significance of material, conceptual and spiritual aspects of water-related cultural heritage. The discussion will focus on the critical relevance of world water heritage for present and future water security, and to promote peace and development. The Special Session flows from the recommendations of the 2020 Tokyo symposium on Water and Culture/Heritage which was organized by the National Institute on Policy Studies of Japan in cooperation with the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Water and Heritage (ISCWater).

USAID’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Finance (WASH-FIN) program has been implemented since 2016 with the objective of closing financing gaps to achieve universal access to water and sanitation services through sustainable and creditworthy business models, increased public funding, and expanded market finance for infrastructure investment. The program has so far helped raise over USD 68.4 million in 8 countries in Africa and Asia, showing that it is possible to leverage private financing to the sector.

Achieving water security means ensuring a minimum water supply for human and economic needs. Being this as one of the main short-term objectives in the world, the impacts of climate change and the degradation of natural water sources make water security an insurmountable challenge in the medium and long term.

The Session intends to reflect on the role of international cooperation to the achievement of SDG6 taking into consideration concrete projects existing in Portuguese speaking countries. This session will address the technical, social, environmental, and regulatory perspectives of these countries, with a view to achieving the SDGs, in particular the SDG6.

Having access to safe drinking water and sanitation is central to living a life in dignity and upholding human rights. Yet billions of people still do not enjoy these fundamental rights.

" Context

Africa has undergone fundamental changes over the last decade, which has fueled increasing demand for water and interconnected sectors underpinning human development, food security, energy access, environmental wellbeing, and climate action. Building on the vision of the EU-Africa partnership “Towards a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa” this special session serves as a follow-up to the European Union - African Union summit (17-18 February 2022).

The world is not on track to reach the Sustainable Development Goal targets 6.2 on sanitation and 6.3 on wastewater management. Today, 3.6 billion people lack safely managed sanitation and more than 494 million people still practice open defecation, which is posing serious threats to public health, environment, and economic development.