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Sixth meeting of the Expert Group on Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation

Virtual(10.00 am-1.00 pm CET on both days)

24 - 25 March 2021

 

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The Expert Group on Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation under the Protocol on Water and Health serves as a platform for countries and stakeholders from the region to exchange experiences. It aims at supporting countries in their efforts to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation by providing a platform to exchange experiences in developing situational analyses, defining action plans and implementing concrete measures.

The 6th meeting of the Expert Group, was organized by the UNECE, as part of the joint secretariat of the Protocol on Water and Health, in cooperation with the French Ministry of Solidarities and Health and the Hungarian National Public Health Institute. It took place virtually on 24-25 March 2021 (two morning sessions).

The objectives of the 6th meeting of the Expert Group were:

  1. To take stock of the implementation of the current programme of work on equitable access to water and sanitation.
  2. To exchange experiences and lessons learned from self-assessments of equitable access to water and sanitation, and the development and implementation of Equitable Access Action Plans and measures.
  3. To share information about actions taken to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation in the new COVID-19 context.  
  4. To exchange information on related topics, in particular the equity dimension in the revised EU Drinking Water Directive, which entered into force in January 2021.
  5. To launch the preparation of the brochure on good practices to ensure affordability of water and sanitation issues and start gathering inputs for its completion.
Participation

The meeting was attended by 69 participants, country representatives from the pan-European region whose work is related to equitable access to water and sanitation as well as representatives from development partners, international organizations, civil society organization and stakeholders engaged in the provision of water and sanitation services.

Documents

Title ENG FRE RUS
Summary report PDF - -
List of participants PDF - -
Concept note PDF PDF PDF
Agenda PDF - -
Annotated outline of draft brochure on good practices to ensure affordability in access to water and sanitation PDF - -
Recordings      
Day 1 link - -
Day 2 link - -

Background documentation

Title ENG FRE RUS
The revised EU Drinking Water Directive available PDF PDF -
No One Left Behind: Good practices to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation in the pan-European region  PDF PDF PDF
The Equitable Access Score-card: supporting policy processes to achieve the human right to water and sanitation PDF PDF PDF
Guidance Note on the Development of Action Plans to Achieve Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation PDF PDF PDF
The Human Rights to Water and Sanitation in Practice: Findings and lessons learned from the work on equitable access to water and sanitation under the Protocol on Water and Health in the pan-European region PDF PDF PDF

Presentations

Title ENG RUS
Session 1    
Overview of the work of the Expert Group on Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation under the Protocol on Water and Health
Ms. Diane Guerrier, UNECE Joint secretariat of the Protocol on Water and Health
PDF  
Experience of Belarus in carrying out a self-assessment on Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation
Ms. Alena Drazdova, Ministry of Health, Belarus
- PDF
Session 2    
The equity dimension in the revised EU Drinking Water Directive
Mr. Michel Sponar, DG ENV - Marine Environment and Water Industry, European Commission
PDF -
How does the Protocol supports countries towards equity in the context of the DWD
Mr. Oliver Schmoll, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Co-Secretary to Protocol on Water and Health
PDF -
How to put into practice the equity dimension of the revised EU Drinking Water Directive
Mr. Oliver Loebel,Federation of European Water Utilities, EurEau
PDF -
Challenges and opportunities in implementing the equity dimension of DWD
Marta Vargha, National Public Health Centre, Hungary
PDF -
EU Drinking Water Directive in North Macedonia
Ms. Natasha Dokovska, Journalists for Human Rights
PDF -
Session 3    
Affordability in the work on equitable access under the Protocol on Water and Health
Ms. Diane Guerrier, UNECE Joint secretariat of the Protocol on Water and Health
PDF -
Session 4    
Making Water and Sanitation Affordable for All - Good practices in the pan-European region
Mr. Roberto Martin-Hurtado, Consultant on Water Policy and Economics
PDF -
Key affordability issue and good practices existing in France
Ms. Aude Ratinahirana, Ministry for the Ecological Transition, France
PDF -
Key affordability issue and good practices existing in Bulgaria
Ms. Diana Iskreva, NGO Earth Forever, Bulgaria
PDF -
Key affordability issue and good practices existing in Armenia
Ms. Armine Arushanyan, Water Committee in Armenia
PDF -
Key affordability issue and good practices existing in Portugal
Ms. Helena Costa, Water and Waste Services Regulation Authority (ERSAR), Portugal
PDF -