The first United Nations 2023 Water Conference in a generation was held in March in New York. It served as a pivotal moment to rally Member States, the UN system, and various stakeholders towards taking action and implementing successful solutions for SDG 6 on a global scale.

Clear commitments, pledges and actions are needed, across all sectors, industries and interests - Uniting stakeholders from the international and national level down to the local level. Such commitments are compiled in the Water Action Agenda, one key outcome of the Conference.

Water Action Agenda

The Water Action Agenda has captured over 830 commitments as of mid-July 2023. It is a collection of water-related voluntary commitments that will accelerate progress in the second half of the Water Action Decade 2018-2028, towards achieving SDG 6 by 2030. The Water Action Agenda signifies the resolute determination of the global community to address water challenges through a more coordinated and results-driven approach.

Building upon ongoing efforts and harnessing the political momentum generated by the UN 2023 Water Conference, the Water Action Agenda remains open and will mobilize action across nations, sectors, and stakeholders to achieve the global goals and targets related to water and sanitation. Member States, the UN system, and all stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to the Water Action Agenda by adding their voluntary commitments to the database.

SDG 6 at the High-level Political Forum in July 

The High-level Political Forum (HLPF), was held under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and took place at the UN headquarters in New York from 10-19 July, 2023. The HLPF in 2023, without prejudice to the indivisible and interlinked nature of the SDGs, reviewed in-depth Goals 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals.

The Facts and Figures on SDG6, presented at the forum, made clear that the world is not on track. Despite some progress, billions still lack access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Water scarcity is worsening in many parts of the world due to conflicts and climate change. Water pollution poses a significant challenge. Achieving universal coverage by 2030 will require a 6-fold increase in current global rates of progress on drinking water, a 5-fold increase for sanitation, and a 3-fold increase for hygiene.

In his background note 'SDGs in focus: SDG 6 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Clean water and sanitation' António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasised: "Water needs to be at the centre of the global political agenda." And further: "The urgency to address SDG 6 is critical. An inability to achieve SDG 6 jeopardizes overall sustainable development. From a human rights standpoint, SDG 6 is not merely about fulfilling the basic human rights of water and sanitation, but other human rights as well, such as the rights to food, a healthy environment, women’s rights, Indigenous rights, amongst others. SDG 6 is also a lynchpin in the fight for global health, gender equality, and sustainable and resilient development."

The HLPF will support the mid-term review of the SDGs and the preparations of the 2023 SDG Summit in September 2023.

Closing the data gap and informing on acceleration needs: The 2023 Data Drive for SDG 6

Seeking to close data gaps, improve data quality and enable an analysis of acceleration needs, UN-Water has launched the third round of global data compilation on the SDG 6 global indicators, the 2023 Data Drive. It involves countries collecting and reporting data on SDG 6 and its indicators to UN custodian agencies, coordinated by UN-Water. Other national, regional and global stakeholders are encouraged to engage in the 2023 Data Drive, to raise awareness and support country focal points in their efforts.

Blueprint for Acceleration: Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2023

In order to measure progress in achieving SDG 6, UN-Water has published the ‘Blueprint for Acceleration: Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2023’, which aims to provide a strategic response to the outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference. By providing a “blueprint” to accelerate progress on water and sanitation, including the implementation of Water Action Agenda commitments, the report warns that progress in SDG 6 is “alarmingly off-track”. The report will be a concise guide to delivering concrete results – offering actionable policy recommendations directed towards senior decision-makers in Member States, other stakeholders, and the United Nations System to get the world on track to achieve SDG 6 by 2030.

Focus on gender: New progress report on WASH in households

Also contributing to the data on SDG 6 progress the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) 2023 update report, Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022: Special focus on gender, presents data on global progress towards achieving universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).With a special focus on gender, the report reveals the unique risks that women and girls face from inadequate access to safe WASH. The report shows that in 2022, 2.2 billion people (or 1 in 4) still lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.5 billion (or 2 in 5) lacked safely managed sanitation, and 2 billion (or 1 in 4) lacked basic hygiene services.

Conclusions

Water supply and sanitation for all are and remain fundamental for a life in dignity and thus central to the political agenda - globally and locally - and there is still a long way to go to reach SDG 6. The data collected worldwide on progress towards SDG 6 is important to measure the success of measures and to identify deficits. It should be made clear again and again what any progress in the area of water and sanitation means in concrete terms for the living conditions of millions of people worldwide. And that the global community owes it to them to increase efforts in this area many times over.