Date: 14 January 2015
Time: 12:00-14:00
Place: Etopía. Avda. Ciudad de Soria, 8. 50010 Zaragoza
Conveners: UNDP-Global Water Solidarity

Water is a human right and also a key element to ensure Sustainable Human Development. Achieving universal access to clean water and sanitation is a matter of health, gender equality, education, food security, environment, among others. In a context of definition of the post-2015 agenda water has to be placed as a priority in development cooperation practices and in this context local authorities play an important role in contributing to development objectives in general and to water security in particular.

>> Side event. Local level actions in decentralized water solidarity towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

• Draw and build on the interest of the Spanish local communities/authorities on local development, operated mainly through decentralized cooperation programs that adopt a territorial approach and multidimensional governance in water and sanitation area;
• Meet territorial collectivities/authorities potentially interested in development actions and local governance;
• Exchange with territorial collectivities/authorities who are already involved in water solidarity projects among the countries where we operate;
• Present the role of local authorities in local economic development as well as the expected and achieved benefits by the communities from a decentralized water solidarity;
• Discuss on the different views of local actors about the potential that exists through the efforts related to decentralized water solidarity for the post 2015 development agenda;
• Illustrate the potential contribution of decentralized actors in the development process;
• Demonstrate the valued added of UNDP GWS to drive an agenda for decentralized cooperation in water and sanitation;
• Provide a forum for dialogue between local actors on the 2015 agenda.

This side event will host an interactive panel consisted of the local level representatives accompanied by the GWS mediator (UNDP Programme Specialist) aimed to emphasis the achievements of decentralized water solidarity. The open debate will follow the panelists’ engagement. The UNDP GWS side event will offer lunch to participants. The language will be Spanish.

• Victor Viñuales
  ECODES-Alianza por el Agua
• Julio Martínez Lanzán
  Development Cooperation
  City of Zaragoza
• Ma. Jesus Cajal
  Expert UNDP-GWS
• Aitor Gabilondo Harina
  Development Cooperation
  City of Vitoria
• Ivan Draganic
  UNDP-Global Water Solidarity