Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, and Jim Yong Kim, World Bank Group President, have announced the appointment of 10 Heads of State and Government, as well as two Special Advisors, to the High-Level Panel on Water.
The panel, which was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos last January, aims to mobilise effective action to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6).
“Ensuring water and sanitation for all is crucial for reducing poverty and achieving other Sustainable Development Goals,” said Ban. “I urge all partners to mobilise behind SDG6 with political, financial and technological support.”
According to the UN if the world continues on its current path, there could be a 40 percent shortfall in water availability by 2030. The consequences of such stress are local, transboundary and global.
The UN and World Bank, through the panel, are seeking to champion a comprehensive, inclusive and collaborative way of developing and managing water resources, and providing improved access to clean water and sanitation.
“Growing cities and populations, as well as a changing climate, are placing unprecedented pressures on our water resources,” said Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank Group. “Addressing this challenge, and ensuring that we can provide clean water and sanitation for all, requires the kind of global action, strong leadership and commitment shown by the members of the High-Level Panel on Water.”
The panel will be co-chaired by President Ameenah Gurib of Mauritius and President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico. Among other actions, it will seek to:
- Motivate effective action–focusing public policy dialogue, private sector models and practices, and civil society initiatives towards the Water SDG; and
- Advocate on financing and implementation–promoting efforts to mobilise financial resources and scale-up investment for the Water SDG, including through innovative financing and implementation strategies.
Panel members, who will serve for two years, include: Ameenah Gurib, President of Mauritius (Co-Chair); Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico (Co-Chair) Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia; Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; János Áder, President of Hungary; Abdullah Ensour, Prime Minister of Jordan; Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of The Netherlands; Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa; Macky Sall, President of Senegal; and Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan.
