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Sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health

16 - 18 November 2022
Salle XVIII, Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland
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Promotional flyer available in English and Russian

 

 

Highlights

As emphasized by the United Nations Secretary-General in his opening statement , “access to safe water and adequate sanitation is vital to health, dignity, and inclusive development. The Protocol on Water and Health provides governments with concrete tools to improve lives, realize the rights to water and sanitation, build resilience to climate change, and prepare for future pandemics”.

300 participants from 45 countries of the pan-European region, including more than 20 ministers, state secretaries and ambassadors, attended the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol. Such broad and high-level participation confirms the relevance of the Protocol as a regional platform for policy-making on water, sanitation, hygiene and health, for knowledge exchange and for facilitating national progress and decision-making.

The Meeting’s high-level session provided an opportunity for countries to discuss the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the policy responses and WASH interventions that were taken, and their relevance for possible future pandemics. Countries also exchanged experience on the challenges posed by climate change, as well as policies and practical responses that can be taken to strengthen climate resilience in the water, sanitation and health sectors. The conclusions  of the high-level session allowed to draw integrated messages on the actions needed to strengthen resilience against crises, such as ensuring that governance frameworks are sensitive to inequities, adopting whole-of-government approaches, and providing long-term financing to make the measures taken in times of crises enduring. The session highlighted the role of the Protocol as a powerful legally binding instrument that supports such actions. The key messages and actions  have been brought forward by Hungary, the new Chair of the Meeting of the Parties, as input for the 2023 United Nations Water Conference.

The Meeting of the Parties also reviewed achievements and progress in the implementation of the Protocol and adopted a new ambitious programme of work for 2023-2025 addressing key regional challenges and priorities. In a round-table on financing, Parties and other partners also discussed how to achieve sustainable and predictable financing under the Protocol.

Countries’ progress towards accession to the Protocol on Water and Health

  • Montenegro has become the 27th Party to the Protocol in 2020
  • Four other countries (Italy, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia and Uzbekistan) are in the process of accession and all other States, in particular Signatories, were called upon to ratify, accede to, accept or approve the Protocol as soon as possible;
  • The UN Secretary-General stressed the call for accession, urging all countries to ratify the Protocol and strive for its full implementation.

Other highlights and decisions

Key products

  • The Background Note on Increasing Resilience to Climate Change through the Protocol on Water and Health, providing a systematic overview of how the Protocol’s framework, areas of work and tools can support climate sensitive action in the water and sanitation sector.
  • The 2022 regional report on the implementation of the Protocol, based on the analysis of 35 national summary reports submitted by Parties and other States within the Protocol’s fifth reporting cycle. Some of the highlights of the report can be found here .
  • The information note The Protocol on Water and Health and the COVID-19 pandemic: relevance, lessons learned and future perspectives, providing a summary of WASH-related considerations in relation to COVID-19 and a conceptual overview of the role of the Protocol in prevention and control of epidemics and pandemics of infectious disease. 
  • Seven new publications were launched:
  1. The Protocol on Water and Health – Driving action on water, sanitation, hygiene and health 
  2. Water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care facilities: a practical tool for situation assessment and improvement planning 
  3. A field guide to improving small drinking-water supplies: water safety planning for rural communities 
  4. A field guide to improving small drinking-water supplies: water safety planning for rural communities
  5. Costing and financing of small-scale water supply and sanitation services 
  6. Delivering safe sanitation for all: Areas for action to improve the situation in the pan-European region 
  7. Making water and sanitation affordable for all: Policy options and good practices to ensure the affordability of safe drinking water and sanitation services in the pan-European region 

 

Documents

Document Title

ENG

FRE

RUS

Post-session documents                                     

     
Report of the Meeting of the Parties on its sixth session (ECE/MP.WH/24) PDF PDF  PDF 
Programme of work for 2023-2025 (ECE/MP.WH/24/Add.1) PDF PDF  PDF 
Decision VI/1 General issues of compliance (ECE/MP.WH/24/Add.2) PDF PDF  PDF 

Item 1 - Opening of the session and adoption of the agenda

 

 

 

Annotated provisional agenda for the sixth session
(ECE/MP.WH/23-
EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/03)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Procedural matters of relevance to decision-making at the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties due to the hybrid format imposed by the circumstances associated with the coronavirus
(ECE/MP.WH/2022/1-EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/07)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Informal document

 

 

 

Organization of work

PDF

-

PDF

Item 2 - High-level session: “The Protocol on Water and Health: strengthening the resilience of WASH and health services in times of climate change and pandemics”

 

 

 

Concept Note PDF PDF PDF

The Protocol on Water and Health: Driving action on water, sanitation, hygiene and health
(ECE/MP.WH/21)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Informal documents

 

 

 

The Protocol on Water and Health and the COVID-19 pandemic: Relevance, lessons learned and future perspectives

PDF

 

PDF

Programme of the high-level session: “The Protocol on Water and Health: Strengthening the resilience of WASH and health services in times of climate change and pandemics

PDF

 

 

Key messages and actions needed to strengthen WASH resilience to climate change and future pandemics PDF    

Item 3 - Status of ratification of the Protocol and report on credentials

 

 

 

Informal document

 

 

 

Status of ratification of the Protocol on Water and Health

PDF

 

 

Item 4 - Elections of the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties and other members of the Bureau

 

 

 

Item 5 - Global and regional context: relevant processes on water, sanitation, hygiene and health

 

 

 

Drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene in the  WHO European  Region:  Highlights  and progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal6(Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2022)

ENG

 

RUS

Declaration of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health
(WHO Regional Office for Europe, EURO/Ostrava 2017/6)

PDF

 

 

Progress on Wash in Health Care Facilities 2000-2021 PDF    
Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools 2000-2021 Data update PDF    

Item 6 - Improving governance for water and health: support for setting targets and implementing measures

 

 

 

Regional report on the status of implementation  of  the  Protocol
(ECE/MP.WH/2022/5/Rev.1-EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/11/Rev.1)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Informal document      
Overview of national summary reports submitted by Parties and other States PDF    

Item 7 - Assistance to support accession and implementation at the national level

 

 

 

Informal document

 

 

 

Overview of activities in member States under the biennial collaborative agreements of the WHO Regional Office for Europe to support implementation of the Protocol’s programme of work for 2020–2022

PDF

-

PDF

Item 8 - Increasing resilience to climate change

 

 

 

Background Note on Increasing Resilience to Climate Change through the Protocol on Water and Health
(ECE/MP.WH/2022/7-EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/13)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Item 9 Compliance procedure

 

 

 

Report of the Compliance Committee to the Meeting of the Parties, including the decision on general issues of compliance
(ECE/MP.WH/2022/6-EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/12)

PDF

PDF

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Informal document

 

 

 

List of nominated candidates for the  Compliance Committee, together with curricula  vitae and supporting documentation

PDF

 

 

Item 10 - Prevention and reduction of water-related diseases

 

 

 

Expert  meeting  on  prevention  and  control  of  legionellosis  in  the  pan-European  region: Meeting  report –Virtual  meeting,  30  November–2  December  2021(Copenhagen,  WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2022)

publication page

Expert  consultation  on  public  health  needs  related  to  surveillance  of  SARS-CoV-2  in wastewater:  Summary  report –Virtual  meeting,  30  November  2020(Copenhagen,  WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2021)

publication page

Environmental  surveillance  for  SARS-COV-2  to  complement  public  health  surveillance: Interim Guidance(Geneva, WHO, 2022)

publication page

Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: Questions and answers (Q and A)(Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2022)

publication page

Informal documents

 

 

 

Training module on risk-based water quality surveillance

PDF

 

 

Training module on water-related disease surveillance and outbreak management

ENG

 

 

Item 11 - Institutional water, sanitation and hygiene

 

 

 

Improving  quality  of  care through  better  water,  sanitation  and  hygiene:  A  pan-European perspective(Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2022)

PDF

 

 

Water, sanitation  and hygiene in health-care facilities:  A practical  tool  for  situation assessment  and  improvement  planning(Copenhagen, WHO Regional  Office for Europe, 2022)

publication page

National situational analysis of water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care facilities  in Serbia: Summary report(Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2020)

publication page

Water, sanitation and hygiene in schools: Meeting summary, 6–8 July 2021 (Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2021)

publication page

Water, sanitation and hygiene in schools: Meeting summary, 4–6 April 2022 (Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2022)

PDF

 

 

Item 12 - Small-scale water supplies and sanitation

 

 

 

A field guide to improving small drinking  water  supplies:  Water  safety  planning  for  rural communities(Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2022)

publication page

Costing and financing of small-scale water supply and sanitation services (Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2020)  ENG - RUS

Informal documents

 

 

 

Small-scale water supply and sanitation systems: Country activities towards achieving safe services

PDF

 

 

Item 13 - Safe and efficient management of water supply and sanitation systems

 

 

 

Delivering safe sanitation for all: Areas for action to improve the situation in the pan-European region(Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2022)

publication page

Item 14 - Equitable access to water and sanitation: translating the human rights to water and sanitation into practice

 

 

 

Making water and sanitation affordable for all: Policy options and good practices to ensure the affordability of safe drinking water and sanitation services in the pan-European region
(ECE/MP.WH/20)

PDF

 

 

Item 15 - Financing of the Protocol on Water and Health

 

 

 

Overview of contributions and expenditures for the period 2020–2022
(ECE/MP.WH/2022/4-EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/10)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Draft programme of work for 2023–2025
(ECE/MP.WH/2022/2-EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/08)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Informal document

 

 

 

Concept note for a  round table discussion on the financing of  the Protocol on Water and Health

PDF

 

PDF

Item 16 - Programme of work for 2023–2025, terms of reference of bodies established to implement it and resources needed for its implementation

 

 

 

Report on the implementation of the  programme of work  for 2020–2022
(ECE.MP.WH/2022/3/Rev.1-EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/09/Rev.1)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Overview of contributions and expenditures for 2020-2022
(ECE/MP.WH/2022/4- EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/10)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Draft programme of work for 2023-2025
(ECE/MP.WH/2022/2- EUCHP/2219533/3.1/2022/MOP-6/08)

PDF

PDF

PDF

Informal document

 

 

 

Provisional  calendar  of  meetings  under  the  Protocol  on  Water  and  Health  and  the  Water Convention in 2023

PDF

 

 

Item 20 - Presentation of the main decisions      
Unedited list of decisions PDF    

Compliance Committee

Nominating
Party
Candidate Curriculum Vitae Letter of nomination
Azerbaijan Ms. Gunel GURBANOVA PDF PDF
Germany Ms. Ingrid CHORUS PDF PDF
Hungary Ms. Ildikó Bodgál PDF PDF
Norway Mr. Gian Luca Burci PDF PDF
Portugal Mr. António Pedro de Nobre Carmona Rodrigues PDF PDF
Switzerland Mr. Jorge VIÑUALES PDF PDF

Photos

Please click the link for the photos.

Presentations and Statements

36843 _ Global SDG 6 monitoring - Sonja Koeppel, UNECE _ 373815 _ English _ 773 _ 369755 _ pdf
36843 _ Global Monitoring Reports - Rick Johnston, WHO Headquarters _ 373817 _ English _ 773 _ 369758 _ pdf
36843 _ Regional WASH highlights - Dennis Schmiege, WHO-EURO _ 373820 _ English _ 773 _ 369760 _ pdf
36843 _ Overview of the fifth reporting cycle - Valentina Paderi, UNECE _ 373910 _ English _ 773 _ 369966 _ pdf
36843 _ Global climate processes - Sonja Koeppel, UNECE _ 373911 _ English _ 773 _ 369967 _ pdf
36843 _ Increasing resilience to climatechange - Luca Lucentini, Italy _ 373913 _ English _ 773 _ 369970 _ pdf
36843 _ Status of ratification - Nataliya Nikiforova, UNECE _ 373936 _ English _ 773 _ 370004 _ pdf
36843 _ High-level session _ 373935 _ English _ 773 _ 370003 _ pdf
36843 _ Opening Statement - United Nations Secretary-General _ 373931 _ English _ 773 _ 369993 _ pdf
36843 _ Statements - High-level segment _ 373932 _ English _ 773 _ 369994 _ pdf