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. 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.
Contents
Activities
Programmes
UN-Water has four specific programs, each with its own work plan, budget and an executing agency co-ordinating the implementation:
Reports and publications
UN-Water has three primary, regularly produced reports on water resources:
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.
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.
Members
CBD - United Nations Convention on Biological DiversityFAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsIAEA - International Atomic Energy AgencyIFAD - International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentUNICEF - United Nations Children’s FundUNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentUNCCD - United Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationUNDESA - United Nations Department of Economic and Social AffairsUNDP - United Nations Development ProgrammeUNECA - United Nations Economic Commission for AfricaUNECE - United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeUNECLAC - United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanUNESCAP - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificUNESCWA - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaUNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationUNEP - United Nations Environment ProgrammeUNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeUN-Habitat - United Nations Human Settlements ProgrammeUNHCR - United Nations High Commission for RefugeesUNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationUNISDR - International Decade for Natural Disaster ReductionUNU - United Nations UniversityWorld Bank - The World BankWHO - World Health OrganizationWMO - World Meteorological OrganizationUNWTO - World Tourism OrganizationPartners
Aquafed - international federation of private water operatorsUnited Nations Global CompactGWP - The Global Water PartnershipIAH - International Association of HydrogeologistsIAHS - International Association of Hydrological SciencesICID - International Commission on Irrigation and DrainageIWA - International Water AssociationIWMI - International Water Management InstitutePSI - Public Services InternationalRamsar - Ramsar Convention on WetlandsSIWI - Stockholm International Water InstituteUNSGAB - United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and SanitationWSSCC - Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative CouncilWBCSD - World Business Council for Sustainable DevelopmentIUCN - International Union for Conservation of NatureWWC - World Water CouncilWWF - World Wide Fund for Nature