Workshop "Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation," 4-5 July 2011: Presentations, Press Release, draft Good Practice Guidance

Gender input was delivered by WECFs gender & rights coordinator Anke Stock, focal point to the UNECE/WHO-Europe Protocol on Water and Health

14.07.2011 |Anke Stock

The workshop on "Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation" has been held last week, 4-5 July 2011 in Geneva, bringing together a whole range of examples of national measures which promote access to water and sanitation equitable for all persons.

In three main sessions, the following topics were covered:

Geographical disparities: in many countries people living in rural or remote areas have significantly lower levels of access to safe water and improved sanitation;
Affordability constraints: in some countries, people with low incomes often find access to water and sanitation unaffordable; this situation will be exacerbated as countries move towards full cost recovery of water and sanitation services;
Inequities suffered by vulnerable and marginalized groups,as well as groups with specific needs (such as Roma and Travellers, ethnic minorities, disabled persons, etc.) who face additional barriers to access than those of ordinary citizens.

The presentations delivered at the meeting which are available here

Following the meeting, a press release has been issued by UNECE in English and French, highlighting specific good practices. It can be found here on the UNECE website

According to UNECE the workshop has been a milestone in the work on equitable access, sheding light on the issue and bringing together many examples of different national measures.
It provided the impetus for the finalization of the draft good practices document "No one left behind. Good practices to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation in the pan-European region" (available in English and Russian )The document is now being completed with additional measures and case studies and will be launched at the World Water Forum in Marseille, March 2012.

For more information:
Joint UNECE - WHO/EURO Protocol on Water and Health
to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

UNECE secretariat
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 917 2463 and 1926
Fax: +41 22 917 0107
E-mail: protocol.water_health@unece.org

WHO/EURO Secretariat
Via Francesco Crispi 10
I-00187 Rome, Italy
Tel.: +39 06 48 77 528
Fax: +39 06 48 77 599
E-mail: watsan@ecr.euro.who.int

Related News

Meet the Winners of the Gender Just Climate Solutions Award at COP24
On the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we awarded Gender Just Climate Solutions Winners at the climate negotiations in Katowice, Poland
11.12.2018

Invitation: Gender Just Climate Solutions Award 2018
10 December, COP24 Katowice
04.12.2018

Getting to the Future We Want
4-7 November, Brussels: European Environmental Bureau’s (EEB) Annual Conference
12.11.2018

GoodFood4All
WECF and partners all over Europe start GoodFood4All Campaign
06.11.2018

#Ruralwomen: join our Women2030 campaign!
15.10.2018