Water Climate Coalition

16th Session of Commission on Sustainable Development

The GPPN played an active role in preparing stakeholders for the water and sanitation review at the 16th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. It also co-ordinated a number of activities and events during the CSD itself.

Please click on the links below for more details of the activities:

• Engaging global stakeholders for the CSD-16 Water and Sanitation Review

• Initiating a conversation on Type II Water and Sanitation Partnerships in Africa

• Intergrating Water and Sanitation into the Main Thematic Discussions

• Co-ordinating Water and Sanitation side events

One of the key objectives of the GPPN for CSD-16 was to help prepare global stakeholders to input to the water and sanitation review. The decision to conduct a water and sanitation review at CSD-16 was authorized by the outcome document of the 13th session of the CSD in 2005. The review took place over two days, alongside the main discussions on Land, Rural Development, Agriculture, Drought, Desertification and Africa.

In order to raise the profile of the review and involve global stakeholders in the process, the GPPN called for feedback from stakeholders on how far water and sanitation commitments outlined in the CSD-13 Decision had been met. The GPPN did this through requesting stakeholder input, asking them to comment on key emerging issues that had not been covered adequately by the CSD-13 outcome document.

Based on the inputs the GPPN received from stakeholders, the Secretariat produced three papers summarizing the points raised and outlining a number of recommendations. The papers can be downloaded below:

• Water Management: Obstacles, Constraints and Next Steps for the Commission on Sustainable Development

• Water Management: Key Recommendations for CSD

• Up to and Beyond 2015: Emerging Issues and Future Challenges for the Water and Sanitation Agenda

The World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 saw the founding of a whole range of Type II Partnerships relating to water and sanitation. With Africa tabled as a 'thematic discussion' for CSD-16, it seemed appropriate that the water and sanitation review should therefore take stock of progress, obstacles and constraints relating to Type II Partnerships in Africa. The GPPN worked with expert Amy Stewart and a range of stakeholders to identify some of the key considerations for the success or failure of WatSan Partnerships in Africa. Some of the findings are outlined in the paper that can be downloaded below.

• Partnerships for Water and Sanitation: Obstacles, Constraints and Next Steps for the CSD

A secondary objective of the GPPN at CSD-16 was to integrate water and sanitation into the other themes under discussion. As part of this effort, the Secretariat worked with development and communications expert Wangu Mwangi, who conducted research and consultation with a range of African stakeholders on the key priorities for water and sanitation in Africa. The findings are outlined in the document below:

• Water and Sanitation in Africa – Obstacles Constraints and Next Steps