Progress report for
Investing in national and local capacity for water and sanitation supports global initiatives aimed at accelerating decent jobs creation, enhancing social protection, and promoting social justice.
Achievement at a glance
Commitments: i) Enhancing national and local capacities for implementing public investments in water and sanitation sectors, with a dual focus on optimizing job creation outcomes and adhering to normative principles that advance the decent work agenda and promote social justice; and ii) Establishing strategic partnerships with the UN System, IFIs, regional partners and other like-minded institutions to maximize the synergic benefits and overall impacts.Progress: The ILO actively supports and implements WASH projects in various countries using employment-intensive investment approaches for infrastructure development. These approaches ensure that ensure that investments create decent and inclusive jobs while contributing to strengthening capacities for implementing public investments. Currently, we are providing support to eight (8) countries in Africa and the Arab regions, with a focus on addressing forced displacement crises. Through the joint initiative with the Government of Netherlands, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and other UN agencies – UNICEF and UNHCR and the World Bank (WB) – we aim to transform the way governments and other stakeholders respond to forced displacement crises. One of the key components of this initiative is a focus on enhancing public investments through employment intensive investment approaches in water.
Commitment: Measuring impact (Developing indicators) and gender in water supply.
Progress: The impact study on water and gender were conducted in three (3) countries in the Philippines, Ethiopia and Tunisia. The findings are expected to guide the development of impact indicators on gender and inclusion as well as inform rural water policy, employment creation and infrastructure development. This initiative aligns with the ILO’s commitment to promoting decent work, gender equality and sustainable development through evidence-based research and practical interventions.
Commitment: Greater knowledge-sharing through research and identification of challenges to decent work and public investments in water domain in Asia, Africa, Arab States and Latin America.
Progress: Developed a joint publication with UNOPS focused on inclusive WASH infrastructure for the Global South. This body of work provides practical resources to governments and infrastructure practitioners in how to mainstream inclusion in infrastructure development.
Next Steps
Martha EspanoBeneficiaries
The target beneficiaries are refugees, international displaced persons and host communities.