UN-ESCWA High-Level Meeting to Promote Water Supply and Sanitation Policies, 15 June 2008

Beirut, 11 July 2008 (United Nations Information Services)– In cooperation with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and in partnership with the League of Arab States (LAS), UN-ESCWA [held] a high level meeting to “Promote Water Supply and Sanitation Policies and Related Organizational Reforms in Western Asia”, on 15 June 2008 at the LAS Headquarters, Cairo, Egypt. The meeting coincided with the second day sessions of the LAS Ministerial Meeting of Arab Ministers responsible for water resources.

Participants in the meeting included senior officials from UN-ESCWA member countries and ministries responsible for water supply and sanitation. The meeting aimed to review the water supply and sanitation status in the UN-ESCWA region; analyze current situation (gaps, challenges, constraints and opportunities); and propose policy options to expedite achievements of MDGs (Policy, institutional arrangements and proposed reforms).

It also focused on progress made by UN-ESCWA Member Countries towards targets 10 and 11 of MDG 7, i.e. to halve the number of people without adequate water supply and sanitation by 2015. Participants will discuss as well the findings of the report entitled “Regional Assessment Report on the Status and Achievements of ESCWA Member Countries towards Improved Water Supply and Sanitation” prepared by UN-ESCWA.

The aim of the meeting was to support political awareness and organizational change for improving Water Supply and Sanitation, particularly in relation to the proposed observance of 2008 as “the International Year for Sanitation”.

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UN-ESCWA is one of the five UN Regional Commissions. It is comprised of 13 member countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Source: UN-ESCWA, 11 Jul 2008