Progress of the Water and Health Protocol
MAMA-86, member of WECf, reports on Geneva meeting
04.07.2006 |Sascha Gabizon
Report on the 6th Meeting of the Working Group on Water and Health
Geneva, Switzerland, 31 May-2 June 2006
By Anna Tsvietkova Eco-Forum coordinator “Water and Sanitation” Issue Group, All-Ukrainian Environmental NGO “MAMA-86”, WECF Steering Committee Member
Kiev, 30 June 2006
Meeting of the Working Group on water and health was held on May 31 – June 2, 2006 in Geneva in the Palace of Nations. All the documents of the meeting are placed on the website of the Convention and on the website of the WHO European Bureau
The questions discussed during the meeting:
1. progress in the ratification process
2. legal and administrative aspects of Protocol implementation
3. Program of work on the Protocol 2007-2009
4. resources required to implement the program of work and establishment of trust funds under the Protocol
5. further preparation of the First Meeting of the sides to the Protocol
Main results and decisions:
1. progress in the ratification process
By 1 March 2006, the following 17 countries had ratified the Protocol, which entered into force on 4th of August 2005: Albania, Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia and Ukraine. It is expected that till the end of 2006 Croatia, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro, Portugal and Switzerland will join the Protocol. In 2007 Great Britain will finish the ratification process. Italy started the ratification process and plans to complete it in 2007.
In order to develop the Protocol ratification strategy the Parties to the Protocol presented to the Secretariat the information relating to the ratification, in particular: the national preparatory documents that preceded the ratification, comparative analysis of the advantages of the Protocol for all the member-states, description of the main disadvantages in the ratification process.
WG discussed the possibility of the Protocol opening for the countries outside the UNECE region. In accordance with the article 18 of the Protocol, any Party that wishes to propose such an amendment should submit the proposal in writing to the Secretariat so that the Secretariat can circulate it to all Parties at least 4 months before the first meeting of the Parties (in case with Water Convention such an amendment was proposed by Switzerland). Secretariat was responsible for the evaluation document of the positive and negative effects of the Protocol opening for the joining of the other countries outside the UNECE.
2. Legal and administrative aspects of the Protocol implementation
Within the framework of this question was discussed:
i. Draft compliance procedure under the Protocol (MP.WAT/WG.4/2005/3-EUR/05/5047554/3). The decision on the document presentation to the 1st Conference of the Parties to the Protocol (1_PP);
ii. Draft rules of procedure (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/3-EUR/06/5059736/3). The Working Group is expected to finalize the draft rules of procedure and submit this document to the first meeting of the Parties including the notification of the Germany position on the point 3 rule 20 of the Compliance procedure of the Protocol’s Meeting (where the possibility of the NGO organizations’ representation in Bureau is under negotiation);
iii. Focal Points (FP) were discussed and agreed on the document: the Working Group is expected to finalize the text and submit it to the first meeting of the Parties (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/4-EUR/06/5059736/4). The list of the member states FP was presented and placed on the website of the Secretariat. (Belgium, Norway, Germany reported about the realization of 2-4 FP in their countries, about work coordination and distribution of the responsibilities between them under the Protocol. Ukraine mentioned the shortage of the resources, the absence of useful information in FP for the Protocol implementation, complexity in work with people, lack of coordination between interested departments for Protocol realization).
Secretariat emphasized that the importance of the FP creation and responsibilities delegation is put on the countries themselves, and there should be at least 1 FP from each country. Moreover the representative of the Secretariat presented the list of the NGOs interested in the electronic dissemination of the information from the Protocol Secretariat that was formed with the assistance of Eco-Forum.
The representative of Eco-Forum gave an explanation about the organizations from the list. Despite the willingness to work with NGOs, there are still limited possibilities for participation in work under the Protocol even on the WG level. The representatives of Belgium and Germany in EB WHO notified the absence in the list of the NGOs actively anticipating in the water and health questions on the regional level and in their countries and proposed to complete the list. Secretariat explained that the list is open and can be completed after the information will be received. Germany proposed December 1 as the deadline for the NGOs interested in the Protocol work list formation.
d) The Working Group will examine a document outlining the advantages of opening the Protocol to countries outside the UNECE region together with a draft text of such an amendment (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/5-EUR/06/5059736/5). Several countries expressed their opinion about the rapid advancement of the Protocol opening and its technical unavailability, though after the explanations of the Secretariat about expediency of this question preparation on the 1st Conference of Parties (CPP), the decision was made to continue consultations on this question in the normal way and to collect the opinions of all the Parties to the Protocol.
There is still open question about a country that will initiate the amendment, because Hungary doesn’t have the possibility to finish the process on the national level before the 1st _PP. Secretariat required other countries / parties to examine the possibilities of the amendment presentation.
_) integration of the mainstreaming activities and priorities of work under the Protocol into the policy making of WHO (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/6-EUR/06/5059736/6).
Document was adopted including the amendments and there will be responsible country specified for informing about WHO activities in all levels.
3. Programme of work 2007–2009 under the Protocol For the WG consideration the Program project was proposed (ECE/MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/7-EUR/06/5059736/7).
_) target setting and indicators for review and assessment of the progress
In the report of the EB WHO’s representative Etzherz about the results of the indicators’ establishment on the 4 directions, the difference of the countries’ stages in the process was emphasized; nobody completed the general work on the indicators and their setting.
The proposition was to make the information exchange on this issue at the 1st CPP; each country-Part to the Protocol should prepare the written information on the situation and leave it in Secretariat for preparation of the general report on the approaches and mechanisms for the formulation target setting before 1st CPP. In August 2007 the countries have to present Targets and indicators for notification about the achieved progress. Eco-Forum proposed to discuss the 1st CPP information from the countries, the analysis of the information mechanisms and involvement of the concerned parties into the target setting on the national level.
The participants of the Meeting were discussing the information, the contribution of the Protocol into the target setting and the necessity to found a special working group for necessary indicators creation, and to hold the target setting conference at the end.
b) Development of guidelines for reporting
The Working Group examined a legal base for the Protocol contribution to the legislative base of the UN activities relating to the problems of water and health and carried out the comparative analysis of the Protocol obligations and regulations with Water Framework Directive, Drinking Water Directive, Bathing Water Directive, Directives on Nitrates, and Directives on Municipal Waste Waters. This analysis allows distinguishing the potential conflicts and synergy in the implementation and coordination of the existing UN legislation and the Protocol.
The analysis was fulfilled by Prof. Atilla Tanzi and was highly valued by WG and the proposition was to send it to all countries that signed, but not ratified the Protocol and using it in further work on the 1st CPP.
The participants of the Meeting discussed the document MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/8-EUR/06/5059736/8 – reporting guidelines for progress related to targets on water supply and sanitation prepared based on the results of the consultations held under the EB WHO in May 2005 in Copenhagen and in Budapest in May 2006. The WHO states that target setting should be established depending on its effect on health (access to safe water supply, adequate sanitation, and quality of the drinking water).
The requests from the countries on the written comment for Annex 1-3 to the document arrived; it should be finished and presented at the 1st CPP. During the discussion questions rose on indicators of the hydrocenoses and state of environment, integrated water management, basins of rivers. These targets will be developed for the 2nd CPP.
The questionnaire on the target setting related to water and sanitation was disseminated among the countries-Parties to the Protocol, and it was necessary for all to give the answers. The Analysis of the data showed the wide dispersion, more detailed answers about water supply than about sewing systems, no information about public access, but the very detailed technical description of the systems’ state. Work should be continued.
_) Participants of the meeting discussed the question about the surveillance and early-warning systems, and the list of the most considerable diseases connected with water. The discussion was based on the WHO European Bureau documents (MP.WAT/WG.4/2005/5-EUR/05/5047554/5), and the Working Document 3 on surveillance that was prepared as the result of the expert consultations in Budapest on May 9-10, 2006. The document on surveillance will not be finished by WHO before the 1st CPP, there is a need to choose the country that is implementing this project on the Program 2007-2009.
d) Follow-up to the round table on the water and health in Europe. Norway on behalf of the Secretariat _rganized 2 additional working discussions under the 6th Meeting of ad hoc Working Group that will be used for financial aid search and realization of the projects under the Protocol. It was coordinated that such mechanism can and should work on the voluntary basis, in the back to back regime during important European Water activities. The Working Group examined and improved the draft document (MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/9-EUR/05/5059736/9).
_) Other activities under the Program work.
The titles of some activities and their content were revised.
The representative of Eco-Forum proposed NGO’s assistance in presentation of information under item 3.3 of the working Program “The integrated management of small water supply and sanitation systems” (2007-2009) on the existing experience of NGOs in water supply and sanitation for rural regions.
4. Resources required to implement the program of work and the establishment of trust funds under the Protocol
Working Group discussed possible financial sources and means to mobilize human resources for the Program realization (compulsory and voluntary payments, trust funds creation).
The decision was made to send letters to the Ministries and Water Convention Secretariat for financial support of the Program fulfillment.
Working Group examined the project decision on the document (MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/10-EUR/06/ 5059736/10), the final version of which will be presented at the 1st CPP.
5. Further preparations for the 1st meeting of the Parties to the Protocol.
The questions discussed in the framework of the issues:
_) Composition of the Compliance Committee (Presidium should consist of 6 members, the Parties should conduct the preparation work for the 1st CPP with 6 candidates and the Chairman, 2 his deputies and 3 additional members. Before December 2006, the Secretariat has to present 9 candidates of the independent experts from 9 member-states of the Compliance Committee.
b) Draft agenda for the First Meeting of the Parties and the list of the official documents for the meeting were examined. Working Group actively discussed the proposed agenda for the 1st CPP. The Eco-Forum representative proposed to discuss CPP presentation from NGOs on the problems of water and sanitation informing in EECCA.
c) the draft Declaration project for the 1st CPP prepared by the Secretariat (MP.WAT/WG.4/2006/11-EUR/06/ 5059736/11) was examined twice, as the result the text was abridged to 2 pages, was completely revised, and it was decided to continue comments’ and remarks collection to the Declaration project till October 2006. All interested countries can send their comments.
d) Date and venue of the First Meeting of the Parties:
It was decided to hold the Meeting on January, 17-19, 2007, Geneva.
_) Resources required for the First Meeting of the Parties.
On the basis of the resource assessment made by the Secretariat the optimal rates of the financing were chosen. The Eco-Forum representative proved the necessity of the financial aid for participation of at least 2 representatives from NGOs at the 1st CPP that relates to the middle version for the 1st Meeting of the Parties organization.
