1st Water Science-Policy Interface Colloquium (SPIC Water)

On 14 June 2018, Ministers in charge of water resources will convene at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris to present and discuss the progress made thus far in implementing SDG 6 (Water and sanitation) and other water related targets.

The objective of the meeting is to report their countries’ accomplishments during implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda water related goals, bring up the challenges and gaps. This one-day meeting will be the 1st Water Science – Policy Interface Colloquium (SPIC Water) taking place during IHP’s 23rd Intergovernmental Council session.

The 8th World Water Forum, in its Ministerial declaration, called upon the renewal and reinforcement of the political commitment to ensure implementation of immediate and effective action towards overcoming water and sanitation-related challenges in particular water scarcity in the context of climate change adaptation and achieving related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets. It further requested UNESCO’s expertise and network, including the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) to support the search for solutions for water and sanitation challenges and implement and share water education policies and best practices on water and sanitation . At the 22nd session of the IHP Intergovernmental Council, Member States requested the support of IHP for a sound science based implementation of the SDG 6 and of water related targets.

IHP as an intergovernmental platform brings together policy makers to discuss challenges, gaps and the way forward to implement the 2030 Agenda in the domain of water. The aim is to identify how IHP may better assist countries to elaborate a Scientific, Technological and Capacity development agenda to accompany them in their endeavours.

A launch of the UN Synthesis Report is going to set the stage and key speakers will participate to the panels and add to the Ministerial statements elements on the interlinkages between IHP activities and the SDGs.

It is envisioned that messages from the Colloquium will be presented in a side event during the upcoming High Level Political Forum, taking place from 9 to 18 July in New York, where progress towards achieving several of the Sustainable Development Goals including SDG 6 on Water and Sanitation will be examined.