The "The future we want" Rio+20 outcome document emphasizes the need for enhanced capacity-building for sustainable development and, in this regard, for the strengthening of technical and scientific cooperation, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation. It reiterates the importance of human resource development, including training, the exchange of experiences and expertise, knowledge transfer and technical assistance for capacity-building, which involves strengthening institutional capacity, including planning, management and monitoring capacities.

The commitment, sealed in the Millennium Declaration in September 2000 in New York, of 190 countries to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, and the urgent need for countries, particularly developing countries, to effectively and speedily respond to the current global economic recession, climate change and other crises that are plaguing the world and adding to the two billion people already living below the poverty line, has renewed interest and engagement in the issue of capacity development.

Capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing the abilities that will allow them to achieve measurable and sustainable results. The achievement of the MDGs related to water and sanitation is conditional on stakeholders being able to mobilise essential capacities.

>> Capacity development – Key tools and lessons learnt from implementation