To the Permanent Representative
New York, 22 March 2014
Excellency,
World Water Day on March 22 is an important occasion to recall and celebrate the importance of water for our lives and for the planet we live on.
Water and its sustainable management are essential for human health and well-being, poverty eradication, food and energy production, social and economic development, for protecting and maintaining healthy ecosystems and for disaster risk reduction. But water is also a finite and vulnerable resource under mounting pressure from population growth, urbanization, pollution, unsustainable production and consumptions patterns, and climate change.
With water challenges rapidly increasing, hindering future development and threatening current advances, complacency is not an option. A committee and forceful response is urgently needed. The deliberations on the post-2015 development agenda are our opportunity to pledge to a concrete and determined response.
On the occasion of World Water Day 2014, we therefore want to commit to a Sustainable Development Goal on water and sanitation. The water and sanitation SDG must be ambitious, with targets that take into account the unfinished business of the MDGs, as well as the emerging and future challenges. The document of the focus areas of sustainable development prepared by the Co-Chairs of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals for its ninth session earlier this month, as well as the discussions during the session itself, provide a solid basis for shaping the SDG on water and sanitation.
Being aware that many share the same vision, we encourage all Member States to support the elaboration and adoption of such a dedicated SDG on water and sanitation in the future discussions on the post-2015 development agenda in the Open Working Group, and beyond.
In thanking you in advance for your support in this process, we remain,
Sincerely yours
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Angola
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia
Permanent Representative of Austria
Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Benin
Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bhutan
Permanent Representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam
Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cabo Verde
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Djibouti
Permanent Representative of Ecuador
Permanent Representative of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Permanent Representative of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Fiji
Permanent Representative of Finland
Permanent Representative of France
Permanent Representative of Germany
Permanent Representative of Haiti
Permanent Representative of Japan
Permanent Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Deputy Permanent Representative of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Lesotho
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Madagascar
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives
Permanent Representative of Mexico
Permanent Representative of Mongolia
Permanent Representative of Montenegro
Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Nauru
Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Permanent Representative of Pakistan
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Palau
Permanent Representative of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea
Permanent Representative of the Independent State of Samoa
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Singapore
Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia
Permanent Representative of the Somali Republic
Permanent Representative of Spain
Permanent Representative of Switzerland
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tajikistan
Permanent Representative of Thailand
Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Tonga
Permanent Representative of Tunisia
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uganda
Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania
Permanent Representative of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam