SECRETARY-GENERAL’S ADVISORY BOARD SEEKS WAYS TO MEET UN DEVELOPMENT GOALS ON WATER, SANITATION

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S ADVISORY BOARD SEEKS WAYS TO MEET

UN DEVELOPMENT GOALS ON WATER, SANITATION

New York, 22 July 2004 -- A group of high-level experts appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will come together for the first time today and tomorrow, to consider ways to mobilize political support and financial resources to ensure that the world stays on track to meet the development targets on water and sanitation.

To be held at United Nations Headquarters from 22 to 23 July, this will be the first meeting of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, which was established in March 2004 in response to the need for greater action in the areas of water and sanitation.

In his statement to the Board, the Secretary-General said, “Today, one person in six will drink unclean water.  One person in three will not have access to proper sanitation.  And around 10,000 people will die today as a result of this preventable situation.  That is unacceptable.  The world has recognized that it is unacceptable.  And it has also recognized that if we don’t address water and sanitation issues, we can’t have effective development strategies.  That’s why commitments were made in the Millennium Declaration in 2000, and at Johannesburg in 2002.  The commitments were to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, and to develop integrated water resources management and water efficiency plans by next year, 2005.”

Progress towards meeting these targets was reviewed at the Commission on Sustainable Development’s session earlier this year, which concluded that these goals will not be met unless there is a dramatic increase in resources and efforts.  What is needed now is high-level political commitment for action and substantial mobilization of human and financial resources, which the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board aims to generate through its work and advocacy.

The Secretary-General appointed Ryutaro Hashimoto, former Prime Minister of Japan, as the Chairperson of the Board and carefully selected a range of eminent persons, technical experts and other individuals with proven experience in inspiring people, moving the machinery of government, and working with the media, the private sector and civil society.

"We recognize that achieving the targets on water and sanitation are critical to reaching other Millennium Development Goals.  This Board aims to move commitments related to water and sanitation to real action in order to achieve these targets", said Chairman Hashimoto.

The Board will base its work on the conclusions of several international meetings, among them the Millennium Assembly and this year’s session of the Commission on Sustainable Development.

Note to Journalists

A photo opportunity for accredited media will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday, 22 July, in Conference Room 8.

Media representatives wishing to attend this photo opportunity (who are not UN-accredited), please contact:  Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit, UN Department of Public Information, tel: +1-212-963-6934, fax: +1-212-963 4642

For more information or to request interviews with members of the Advisory Board, please contact:  Renata Sivacolundhu, UN Department of Public Information, tel: +1 212 963 2932, fax: +1 212 963 1186, e-mail: mediainfo@un.org; Manuel Dengo, Division for Sustainable Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, tel: +1 212 963 4208, e-mail: dengo@un.org

Members of Advisory Board

Mahmoud Abu Zeid, Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources of Egypt;

David Boys, Utilities Officer, Public Services International, Ferney-Voltaire;

Michel Camdessus, Special Representative of the President of France for Africa;

Juanita Castaño, former Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia;

Olivia la O’ Castillo, Chair and President, Asia Pacific Round Table for Cleaner Production;

Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chair of the Global Water Partnership, Stockholm;

Antônio da Costa Miranda Neto, Director for International Affairs, Brazilian Association of Municipal and Sanitation Services;

Jocelyn Dow, former President, Women’s Environment and Development Organization;

Uschi Eid, Parliamentary Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany;

Angel Gurria, former Minister of Finance of Mexico;

Ryutaro Hashimoto, former Prime Minister of Japan;

Ronnie Kasrils, Minister for Intelligence and former Minister for Water Affairs and Forestry of South Africa;

Poul Nielson, Commissioner of the European Union for Development and Humanitarian Aid;

Eric Odada, Director, Department of Geology, University of Nairobi;

Gérard Payen, President, International Committee of the of Scientific and Technical Association for Water and Environment, Paris;

Judith Rees, Deputy Director, LondonSchool of Economics and Political Science;

Christine Todd Whitman, former Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency of the United States;

Yordan Uzunov, Head, Department Bio-Indication and Environmental Assessments, Sofia; and

Peter Woicke, Executive Vice-President, International Finance Corporation.

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