2013 World Water Week closes with a call for concerted global action on water
The 2013 World Water Week, focusing on cooperation and partnerships, closed today with a call for the United Nations to put special emphasis on water when it considers the post-2015 global development agenda.
In over 100 seminars, workshops and events spread throughout the week, over 2,600 participants have been meeting, discussing and debating the most pressing water challenges of our time under the thematic umbrella “Water Cooperation – Building Partnerships”.
This Week has brought together an unprecedented number of professionals Stockholm – world leaders, government representatives, scientists, members of the private sector and civil society. Every single one of them contributes to the work toward a water wise world.
As input to the United Nations General Assembly later this month, the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) presented the Stockholm Statement during the closing ceremony of the World Water Week in Stockholm. The Statement, a result of an open and inclusive consultation process before and during the Week, calls for a dedicated goal on water as the world body considers the post-2015 global development agenda.
With the close of the 2013 World Water Week, the sights are already set on 2014. Next year’s theme is “Water and Energy – Making the Link”. Speaking during the closing session, Dr Kandeh Yumkella, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and CEO of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative set the scene for next year’s deliberations by telling delegates that energy is inseparable from sustainable development.
