Water in diplomacy: Council confirms EU`s commitment to enhanced EU engagement
The Council today approved conclusions highlighting the strategic importance of water, in particular for sustainable development, poverty reduction, food and nutrition security, human development, climate action, environmental protection, biodiversity and ecosystem preservation, humanitarian action, peace and stability, and the importance of water as a human right.
The conclusions reaffirm the EU’s diplomatic engagement on water, especially transboundary water cooperation, as a tool for peace, security and stability. The conclusions call for further implementation in this regard and for an increase in synergies between water, climate and energy diplomacy.
The Council is concerned that the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 - ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’ remains severely off-track and under-financed. Therefore, the Council calls for the issue of water to be given increased emphasis in the EU’s external action and in the UN agendas, in line with the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework.
To this end, the EU welcomes the UN 2023 Water Conference as an opportunity to mobilise all stakeholders and sectors, and stresses the need for concrete outcomes.