Water and Sanitation Success is Fundamental to Achieving All SDGs

New York, 5 November 2024, “Success in water and sanitation is a prerequisite for other Sustainable Development Goals,” emphasized Retno Marsudi, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, at the UN-Water Meeting in New York. Closing the two-day conference, Marsudi shared her optimism and outlined key principles for accelerating progress toward global water security.

Reflecting on the strategic timing between the 2023 and the upcoming 2026 UN Water Conference, Mrs. Marsudi underscored the importance of a cross-sectoral approach that brings together diverse and innovative partnerships. “We must not waste this momentum. Now is the time to create a powerful 'water movement' that everyone can rally behind,” she noted.

The Special Envoy advocated for an unwavering focus on actions that yield real benefits for people, stressing the need to prioritize impactful implementation. “What matters most are actions that bring positive changes to people’s lives,” she stated, reinforcing that relevance in water initiatives comes from tangible results. "Our commitment must center on implementation, implementation, and more implementation,” she emphasized.

Furthermore, Mrs. Marsudi urged the importance of inclusive collaboration, asserting that partnership should be a habit, not an afterthought. She emphasized the need for all stakeholders—including private businesses, philanthropists, and financial institutions—to join forces and foster innovative partnerships that help close resource gaps. In her vision, breaking down silos is essential to achieving water and sanitation for all.

She also called for maximizing existing resources to advance water and sanitation objectives, guided by her "Triple A" approach—Advocate, Align, and Accelerate. This strategy fosters alignment among stakeholders to move in a unified direction, allowing every achievement to contribute to a shared goal. "The success of one can be the solution for many, truly embodying the principle of ‘leaving no one behind,’” she concluded.

Chairing the UN-Water meeting, Mr. Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development supported the Special Envoy’s call to action and highlighted the need to ensure that “the work of UN-Water is relevant to the people”.

The meeting marked Mrs. Marsudi's first engagement as the UN Special Envoy on Water, demonstrating her commitment to revitalizing the global water and sanitation agenda with strategic focus and collaborative energy. The UN Water Meeting, held from 4–5 November 2024, gathered over 130 participants from UN-Water’s member organizations and partners, emphasizing the significance of partnership and coherence within UN initiatives on water and sanitation.