UN-Water

UN-Water is an inter-agency entity of the United Nations, endorsed in 2003 for the follow-up process of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Its purpose is to support states in their water-related efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals.^[1] UN-Water strengthens coordination among UN agencies that work on all aspects of freshwater and sanitation. This includes surface and groundwater resources, the interface between freshwater and seawater and water-related disasters. UN-Water aims at improving the cooperation between relevant governing bodies and development organizations. It is responsible for the annual World Water Day as well as for the UN Water decade.

Activities

Programmes

UN-Water has four specific programs,^[2] each with its own work plan, budget and an executing agency co-ordinating the implementation:

World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap
UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) implemented by the United Nations International Decade for Action, "Water for Life Decade" 2005-2015(UNW-IDfA)http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade
UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) http://www.unwater.unu.edu
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) http://www.wssinfo.org

Reports and publications^[3]

UN-Water has three primary, regularly produced reports on water resources:

UN World Water Development Report http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr
Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation http://www.wssinfo.org/en/welcome.html
Global Assessment on Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/glaas/en/

Task forces

UN-Water also maintains ad hoc Task Forces on issues such as Climate Change, Gender and Water, Transboundary Waters, Monitoring (including indicators and reporting), Country-level Coordination, and Sanitation.^[4]

World Day for Water

UN-Water is responsible for the coordination and planning of the World Day for Water, which is observed every March 22.

Members and partners of UN-Water

UN-Water is composed of member representatives of 26 United Nations organizations that work on water issues and 17 other, non-UN organizations which are partners in UN-Water.^[5]

Members

CBD - United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency

IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development

UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund

UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

UNCCD - United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

UNDESA - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

UNECA - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

UNECE - United Nations Economic Commission for Europe