As the world commemorates the World Water Day, the United Nations has revealed that billions of people still do not have access to clean, safe water and toilets.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, made use this known on his twitter handle just as he called to on individuals’ participation to ensure change happens, saying the world is woefully off-course to achieve its goal of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The world`s chief civil servant titled his twit “Accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis.”
According to the UN Secretary-General, individuals can all do something to accelerate change, urging individuals or on behalf of an organisation to take action.
He added that the commitment made by individuals on the campaign website would contribute to the Water Action Agenda to be launched at the UN 2023 Water Conference which opens on World Water Day, 22 March 2023, the first event of its kind for nearly 50 years.
“It is basic to know that water affects us all, we need everyone to take action, water is essential in our day to day activities, no individuals can survive without water even the inhabitants on surfaces of the earth.
“An individual, organisation, school and community can make a difference by changing the way they use water, consume and manage water in their lives.
“This is a once in a-generation moment and movement for the world to unite around water. Play your part! Do what you can,” he said.
The UN chief continued: “Accelerating change World Water Day 2023 is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis.
“However, dysfunction throughout the water cycle undermines progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, and disasters to peace.
“Findings showed that in 2015, the world committed to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 as part of the 2030 Agenda, the promise that everyone would have safely managed water and sanitation by 2030.
There is an urgent need to accelerate change to go beyond “business as usual.”
He added that “Billions of people and countless schools, businesses, healthcare centres, farms, and factories are being held back because their human rights to water and sanitation still need to be fulfilled.
“The latest data show that governments must work on average four times faster to meet SDG 6 on time, but this is not a situation that any single actor or group can solve. Water affects everyone, so we need everyone to take action.”
The poster of World Water Day 2023 with a humming bird carrying drops of water from the beak and the words:
“Be the change you want to see in the world, the global campaign. Be the change that encourages people to take action in their lives to change how they use, consume and manage water. These promises from individuals and communities will contribute to the Water Action Agenda alongside larger commitments from governments, companies, organizations, institutions, and coalitions.
BDST: 1343 HRS, MAR 22, 2023
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