| Issue 21. 29 November 2013 | www.un.org/waterforlifedecade |
| This week in focus | Editor’s note
Welcome to the Decade’s Weekly! Every week it brings you the latest news from the International Decade for Action ’Water for Life’ 2005-2015. Please feel free to forward this newsletter. You can also access this newsletter online. Tip of the week |
| #WaterCooperation Closing Ceremony of the International Year of Water Cooperation
Date: 5-6 December 201 The International Year of Water Cooperation comes to its end. Among many of the goals achieved, the Year has provided a means to strengthening the dialogue and cooperation with key stakeholders, at all levels. The closing ceremony will provide a synthesis of the major achievements of the International Year, explore modalities to further foster water cooperation and set the agenda for its follow-up. The Closing Ceremony is organized by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water with the support of the Government of Mexico through the National Water Commission (CONAGUA). The Ceremony includes high level panels on the global perspectives of water security and cooperation, on the milestone events and on UN activities that took place during the Year. Round tables discussions on the key messages of the International Year will be held and the ceremony will be concluded with the spotlight on the way ahead, including a focus on water in the preparations for the post-2015 development agenda. |
| In the news | Forthcoming events |
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#Philippines
With food still priority in typhoon-hit Philippines, UN boosts relief efforts
The United Nations is mustering planes, ferries and trucks to boost its relief efforts in the Philippines, with food still a priority almost three weeks after Typhoon Haiyan ripped into the country, killing over 5,230 people and affecting more than 13 million others, nearly 3.5 million of them left homeless. Besides, an estimated 240,000 people still remain in some 1,100 centres in overcrowded conditions with limited water and sanitation facilities.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, is seeking engagement with States and other stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities provided by the realisation of the human rights to water and sanitation, and to seek input through the proposal of case studies, comments and other experience that States would like to share on the realisation of the human rights to water and sanitation. Ms. Albuquerque encourages contributions by 13 December 2013. From the Decade’s Programmes
#Publications
Bimonthly Publications Review 19
Every two months, the UNW-DPAC Bimonthly Publications Review brings you the latest publications produced by United Nations agencies and programmes on issues related to water and sanitation. Publications included in the review are freely accessible from the web. Tokuala Eva Oruitemeka, from Nigeria, Kaushik Bose, from India, and Osei Wiafe, from Ghana, have joined the ’Water for Life’ Decade’s Office/UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) in Zaragoza, Spain. Tokuala, as well as Osei, are both Master’s degree students in Environmental and Public Health at the University of Salford in the United Kingdom. Kaushik is a Master’s student in Environmental Management at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. We have asked them about their expectations of this internship. We welcome the three of them and hope they will enjoy this internship period! >> Apply for an internship
>> P11 form 
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#Post2015
6th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals
Date: 9-13 December 2013 The 6th session of the OWG on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) will focus on the means of implementation (science and technology, knowledge-sharing and capacity building). It will address issues related to the needs of countries in special situations (Africa, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States) as well as specific challenges facing the middle-income countries and focus on human rights, the right to development and global governance.
On 9 December, UN-Water organizes a side-event on "The UN-Water goal proposal on water, targets, indicators and data requirements" which will focus on measurability and means of implementation of a dedicated water goal in the post-2015 development agenda.
>> More info
>> Side events
Date: 10 December 2013
Human Rights Day brings to the attention of the world’s people the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. With the recognition in July 2010 of the human right to water and sanitation by the UN General Assembly, there is certainly much to do to ensure its achievement.
Date: 11 December 2013
Mountains are crucial to life. Mountains provide most of the world's freshwater, harbour a rich variety of plants and animals, and are home to one in ten people. Yet, each day, environmental degradation, the consequences of climate change, exploitative mining, armed conflict, poverty and hunger threaten the extraordinary web of life that the mountains support. International Mountain Day is an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands. |
- Foundation Center of New Water Technologies (CENTA)
The CENTA Foundation aims to turn knowledge into added value by encouraging the competitive development of the water sector and the implementation of more effective and sustainable water public policies in the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. The work carried out by the foundation is grouped into three knowledge areas: 1) Water Technologies; 2) Water and Ecosystem Management; and 3) Water Quality. CENTA complements its research activities with various awareness-raising activities to promote and popularize knowledge, environmental education, technology transfer and international cooperation for development. In 2007, CENTA joined the Water for Life Decade’s campaign with the "2nd International Conference SmallWat07: Wastewater Treatment in Small Communities" held in Seville, Spain, from 11 to 15 November 2007.
>>Contact
- CONAMA Foundation
The CONAMA Foundation is a Spanish independent and nonprofit organization that promotes the exchange of knowledge for sustainable development. The Foundation has held the Spanish National Congress for the Environment (CONAMA) every two years since 1992, which is the largest meeting dedicated to sustainable development in Spain. The CONAMA Foundation has joined the Water for Life Decade’s campaign and will include the Decade’s logo in its information and awareness raising activities for its next Congress.
>>Contact
- Spanish Groundwater Foundation
The Spanish Groundwater Foundation is a nonprofit organization under the framework of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment which has a national and international scope in cooperative activities. The Foundation has joined the Water for Life Decade’s campaign with the project "Invisible Water", an outreach project that consists of 13 documentaries related to all aspects of groundwater: scientific, technical, environmental, groundwater exploitation and uses, management, cooperation, etc. Chapter 1 of the documentary series "Invisible Water. A reality beneath our feet" was presented in Madrid on 25 April 2013.
>>Contact