The UN 2023 Water Conference, which takes place at UN Headquarters from 22-24 March, is being hailed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate progress towards universal access to safe water and sanitation by 2030. Water is at the core of sustainable development. It supports all aspects of life on Earth, and access to safe and clean water is a basic human right. However, decades of mismanagement and misuse have intensified water stress, threatening the many aspects of life that depend on this crucial resource. 1. We are facing a global water crisis Water is essential for human well-being, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems, gender equality, poverty reduction and more. But we are currently facing a global water crisis. Billions of people around the world still lack access to water. It is estimated that more than 800,000 people die each year from diseases directly attributed to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene practices. Demands for this precious resource continue to rise: about four billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month of the year. With water being so crucial to many aspects of life, it is important to ensure its protection and proper management to ensure that everyone has equitable access to this essential resource by 2030. 2. Water and climate are inextricably linked From increasing floods, unpredictable rain fall, and droughts, the impacts of climate change on water can be seen and felt at an accelerating rate. These impacts threaten sustainable development, biodiversity, and people’s access to water and sanitation. According to the latest State of the Climate Services on Water report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), water-related hazards have increased by an alarming rate. Since 2000, floods have increased by 134 per cent with the duration of droughts increasing by 29 per cent. But water can also be a key solution to climate change. Carbon storage can be improved by protecting environments like peatlands and wetlands, adopting sustainable agricultural practices can help reduce stress on freshwater supplies, and improving water supply and sanitation infrastructures can ensure that everyone has access to vital resources in the future. Water must be at the centre of climate policies and action. Sustainable water management can help build resilience, mitigate impacts of climate change, and protect societies and ecosystems. Sustainable, affordable, and scalable water solutions must become a priority. 3. Four decades on, bold new commitments are on the table The UN 2023 Water Conference will be a crucial moment to decide on concerted action to “take action and address the broad challenges surrounding water,” in the words of Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Secretary-General of the event. The Conference will bring Heads of State and Government, Ministers, and stakeholders across all different sectors together achieve internationally agreed goals, including Sustainable Development Goal 6 of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for a fairer future; ensuring access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for all. One of the main outcomes of the Conference will be the Water Action Agenda that will capture all water-related voluntary commitments and follow on their progress. The Agenda aims to encourage Member States, stakeholders, and the private sector to commit to urgent actions to address today’s water challenges. 4. Focus on five key areas The Conference will feature five “interactive dialogues” to strengthen and accelerate action for key water areas. The interactive dialogues also support the five principles of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework, an initiative to deliver fast results towards ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. The five interactive dialogues are: Water for Health: Access to safe drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation. Water for Sustainable Development: Valuing Water, Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Sustainable Economic and Urban Development. Water for Climate, Resilience and Environment: Source to Sea, Biodiversity, Climate, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction. Water for Cooperation: Transboundary and International Water Cooperation, Cross Sectoral Cooperation and Water Across the 2030 Agenda. Water Action Decade: Accelerating the implementation of the objectives of the Decade, including through the UN Secretary-General’s Action Plan. 5. How can you get involved? Water is a critical issue that affects everyone. As UN Member States, governments and stakeholders prepare to make their own water commitments, the UN is calling on everyone to take their own action. Any action – whether small or big – can help accelerate change and action towards achieving the goals and targets of SDG 6. Here are some simple actions that can be incorporated into daily routines: Take shorter showers and reduce your water waste in your home. With 44 per cent of household wastewater not being safely treated, taking shorter showers is a terrific way to save this precious resource. Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving Water Participate in clean-ups of local rivers, lakes, or wetlands. Plant a tree or create your own water garden. These actions can help protect water ecosystems from pollution and reduce the risk of flooding and store water efficiently. Raise awareness on the critical connection between toilets, sanitation, and menstruation. Break taboos by starting conversations in your local community, school, or workplace. Learn more about the goals and targets of SDG 6 and continue to advocate for solutions at the local and national level.

The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission will host an International Donors’ Conference  20 March in Brussels with the participation of the United Nations to support the people of Türkiye and Syria affected by the recent devastating earthquakes. Co-hosted by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and by Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, for the Swedish Presidency of the Council, and organised in coordination with the Turkish authorities, the Donors’ Conference will be open to EU Member States, candidate countries and potential candidates, neighbouring and partner countries, G20 members – except for Russia – Member States of the Gulf Cooperation, as well as the UN, international organisations, humanitarian actors and international and European financial institutions. “Six weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, we come together to support the survivors of this tragedy,” says EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “Our solidarity will continue to be as strong as it was in the first hours after the earthquake. The people in Türkiye and Syria should know that we are with them for the long run. I invite all nations and all donors, public and private, to contribute and honour the memory of the lives lost, the heroism of the first responders and most importantly to build together a better future for the survivors.” Ulf Kristersson, the Prime Minister of Sweden. points out that the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria are a disaster of historic proportions. “I’m saddened by the loss of lives and homes, and the human suffering. The consequences are truly horrendous. As President of the Council of the European Union, Sweden will do everything in our power, together with the EU and international partners, to help those affected in the next phases of the rehabilitation and early recovery.” Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will virtually address the opening session of Monday's EU-led International Donors' Conference for solidarity with the country after last month's powerful earthquakes, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. The ministry said in a statement that the conference, which is being organized by the EU Commission and Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, "reflects the solidarity and support following the devastating earthquakes of 6 February." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will attend the conference in person and hold bilateral talks with his counterparts on the sidelines, statement added. Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, will represent the UN system at the conference. Background The International Donors’ Conference will be held back-to-back with the European Humanitarian Forum, co-organised on 20 and 21 March 2023 by the European Commission and the Swedish Council Presidency. The Forum will take place in the context of sharply increasing humanitarian needs, changing geopolitical realities, and shrinking humanitarian space. It will provide a platform for European actors and international community to discuss ongoing humanitarian challenges, including the humanitarian funding gap and the need to broaden the donor base. In addition to the International Donors’ Conference, on 14-15 June the EU will host the 7th Brussels conference on the Future of Syria and the Region.

When the earthquakes struck southeastern Türkiye on February 6, the Community Volunteers Foundation immediately deployed its volunteers to the storage units in earthquake zones to classify, store and distribute urgent supplies to the survivors. Women volunteers have played a life-saving role in the response by ensuring that women and girls receive the aid and support they need. Volunteers play an essential role in disaster response and emergencies, supporting the immediate needs of the survivors, assisting public institutions in delivering services, and aiding survivors who require care and support. After the earthquakes hit 11 provinces in southeast of Türkiye on the 6th of February, thousands of volunteers were deployed in the disaster areas to assist public institutions and help the survivors who lost their homes and loved ones to the devastating earthquakes. Community Volunteers Foundation (TOG, for its acronym in Turkish), one of UN Women’s civil society partners, has worked tirelessly with its more than 800 volunteers, half of them are women, on the ground for the past month. Just after the earthquakes, people, national and local institutions, civil society organizations and private companies from across the country started to send aid packages, blankets, and food items to the earthquake zones. The huge amount of aid required support from the volunteers. Coming from all over the country, TOG volunteers, including earthquake survivors, were there to help. In coordination with public authorities, they have been sorting, storing and delivering these items to survivors, including women and girls since day one. “The variety of humanitarian supplies has been changing every single day. One day, a truckload of hygiene products and sanitary pads comes; the other day there is none of these items. So, our work is very important as focal persons in the storage units to sort, pack, and deliver the immediate needs of the survivors,” says Rana Kara, 27, from İstanbul, who is a training expert at TOG. Kara worked at one of the storage units at Hatay. She explains how the system works: “We classify and store the items, prepare aid packages according to the list of requirements shared by local authorities in the region and send them to tent settlements.” Zilan Aydın (23) has been a TOG volunteer for the past five years. She was in her hometown Antalya, when the earthquakes hit the cities and she deployed to the earthquake zone right after that. She says that she went to a storage unit in Hatay to coordinate the aids and to set up the operation: “People come to the storage units to pick up the items they need. Often, men come and get these items for their families. Due to gender stereotypes and traditional values, sometimes men don’t know how to ask for sanitary pads, or they ask if their wives and daughters use the same type of sanitary pads. So, we decided to put sanitary pads and diapers into all aid boxes we prepare for the families.” Aydın, also studying dentistry, shares her experiences and observations on the ground: “As a health professional, I see that many pregnant women are saying that they are bleeding, and they have a risk of miscarriage. I also witness that women tend to prioritize the needs of their children first, they want to take diapers and baby formula and put their needs in second place.” Dilay Duman (34) has been a TOG volunteer for more than 15 years. She is currently working for a civil society organization in Mersin, a city in the south of Türkiye. Right after the earthquake, she deployed to her hometown Hatay as a volunteer of TOG. She says that it is very challenging to be a volunteer in times of disasters: “During disasters, you need to organize faster, be able to make decisions in a changing environment, and be more careful than ever while taking initiatives. As volunteers, we need to acknowledge the vulnerabilities of people including women and we need to be supportive in any case.” Hazal Günel, Gender Equality Programs Specialist at TOG, says that women volunteers play a life-saving role in the earthquake response: “Women volunteers can ensure that different needs and priorities of women and girls are met. Their presence provides a gender lens at all levels of the humanitarian response. This is why we especially deployed women volunteers. We believe that women volunteers make a valuable contribution to assisting women experiencing difficulties in the earthquake zones.” Günel says that their volunteers are assigned to seven different storage units in Hatay, Adıyaman and Kahramanmaraş, the most affected cities by the earthquakes. “Volunteers are deployed to work on the ground for a maximum of 5 days because of their well-being and the risk of secondary trauma. Their mental and physical health is essential for the sustainability of volunteer work on the ground,” she explains. The Community Volunteers Foundation (TOG) works with youth and encourages them to participate in social responsibility projects as volunteers. The foundation is a partner organization of UN Women and implements a training programme for volunteers within the “Strong Civic Space for Gender Equality”, funded by the European Union. If you would like to support UN Women’s efforts in the earthquake zone in Türkiye and Syria and help women, girls and their families who are in urgent need, please donate here.   

"The world’s nearly 2 billion Muslims reflect humanity in all its magnificent diversity. But they often face bigotry and prejudice for no other reason than their faith" said UN Chief.  On his message for the first International Day to Combat Islamophobia the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres called for action to stamp out the poison of anti-Muslim hatred. "Beyond structural, institutional discrimination and the wholesale stigmatization of Muslim communities, Muslims suffer personal attacks, hateful rhetoric, and scapegoating. We see some of the worst impacts in the triple discrimination against Muslim women because of their gender, ethnicity, and faith" he stated. The growing hate that Muslims face is not an isolated development: it is part of the resurgence of ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazi white supremacist ideologies, and violence targeting vulnerable populations including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities and others. "Discrimination diminishes us all. And it is incumbent on all of us to stand up against it" he underlined. Guterres said "We must strengthen our defenses by pushing for policies that fully respect human rights and protect religious and cultural identities. We must recognize diversity as richness and ramp up political, cultural, and economic investments in social cohesion." "We must confront bigotry by working to tackle the hate that spreads like wildfire across the internet" stated the UN Chief.  "For well over a millennium, Islam’s message of peace, compassion, and grace has inspired people the world over. Every great faith and tradition summons the imperatives of tolerance, respect, and mutual understanding" continued Guterres his message.  He added "At the heart, we are dealing with universal values: they animate the United Nations Charter and lie at the core of our quest for justice, human rights, and peace." "Today and every day, let us strive to realize these values and counter the forces of division by reaffirming our common humanity" ended Guterres his message.