NEWS in brief
Global Highlights lives of waste pickers . That could mean trash banks , grants for supportive programs or payment agreements with municipalities . In many cases people are already doing this work — which has environmental and social benefits .
Source : WasteDIVE
UN and World Bank announce members of joint highlevel panel on water
United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim have announced the appointment of 10 Heads of State and Government , as well as two Special Advisors , to the High-Level Panel on Water .
The Panel is co-chaired by the Presidents of Mauritius and Mexico , and it comprises eight additional Heads of State / Government , as well as two Special Advisors , who support the Panel with their insights and expertise .
The work of the Panel has two main objectives :
1 ) Motivate Effective Action – by changing the way that the world thinks about water , and by shining a light on examples of policies , institutions , and programs that could help the world onto a more sustainable pathway , the HLPW can help motivate effective action across governments , civil society , and the private sector .
2 ) Advocate on Financing and Implementation – by promoting efforts to mobilize and target financial resources , scale-up investment , and encourage innovation and partnerships , the HLP can help the world improve water and sanitation related services , as well as build more sustainable and resilient societies and economies . The Panel will also look at interlinkages with other SDGs and targets , including climate change , and gender and water .
The Panel is supported by a Joint Secretariat comprising UN-DESA and the World Bank Group . UN-Water will also be part of the Joint Secretariat to feed the technical water expertise of the rest of the UN system through UN- Water .
The Panel will also engage with other constituencies and networks and tap in stakeholders ’ expertise . The mandate of the Panel will be time-bound and have a two-year term .
Panel Members :
• Ameenah Gurib , President of Mauritius ( Co- Chair )
• Enrique Peña Nieto , President of Mexico ( Co- Chair )
• Malcolm Turnbull , Prime Minister of Australia
• Sheikh Hasina , Prime Minister of Bangladesh
• János Áder , President of Hungary
• Abdullah Ensour , Prime Minister of Jordan
• Mark Rutte , Prime Minister of the Netherlands
• Jacob Zuma , President of South Africa
• Macky Sall , President of Senegal
• Emomali Rahmon , President of Tajikistan
• Han Seung-soo , Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea ( Special Advisor )
• Manuel Pulgar-Vidal , Minister of State for the Environment of Peru ( Special Advisor )
8th World Water Forum : Steering Committee meets in Brasilia Members of the 8th World Water Forum International Steering
First meeting of the 8th World Water Forum International Steering Committee ( ISC ), Brasilia , 2-3 May 2016
Committee ( ISC ) met for the first time in Brasilia on 2 and 3 May to discuss general orientations for the organization of the 8th World Water Forum to be held in Brazil in 2018 . The meeting was opened by Rodrigo Rollemberg , Governor of the Federal District of Brasila and President Benedito Braga , cochairs of the ISC , who both emphasized the need to regard the World Water Forum as an ongoing change process , rather than a triennial event .
During discussions , members evoked the legacy of the 8th World Water Forum , which will be hosted in the Southern hemisphere for the first time . They also explored what shape the 8th World Water Forum ’ s new Sustainability process might take to support the achievement of lasting improvements in water resources management , especially in view of the newly confirmed Sustainable Development Goals and a UNFCCC Climate Agreement .
The meeting offered the opportunity to delve more deeply into the mechanics behind each of the processes that will contribute to the Forum ’ s preparation , while designing pathways for them to work closely together . Members were encouraged to seize new opportunities for greater innovation while building on what has been accomplished previously .
The Committee also discussed the plan for the 8th World Water Forum Kick-off meeting , which will be held on 27-28 June in Brasilia .
12 Africa Water , Sanitation & Hygiene • May - June 2016