High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action“Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028
FINAL DECLARATIONPROMOTING ACTION AND POLICY DIALOGUEDushanbe, Tajikistan
20-21 June 2018
The High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028, met in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 20-21 June 2018, to discuss how toachieve the objectives of the Decade, contained in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 71/222
of 21 December 2016, in order to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment. Heads of State and Government, ministers and other high-level dignitaries took part inthis historical gathering together with representatives of international and regional organizations, local governments, civil society, the private sector and academia. The Conference also provided a timely
and necessary platform for elaborating recommendations in the run-up of the next session of the United
Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development where, among other issues, the Sustainable Development Goal 6 to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” will be discussed. The Conference built on the outcomes of the Eighth World WaterForum, the High-Level Panel on Water, the Water for Life Decade and other major water-related
events and platforms at the global and regional level.

We, the participating representatives of states and organizations,Recalling the United Nations General Assembly resolution 71/222 of 21 December 2016, by which it
proclaimed the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028(hereinafter referred to as the “Water Action Decade”),
Also recalling the United Nations General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled“Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, which reiterates the importance of “ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” as a
Sustainable Development Goal to be achieved by 2030, the underpinning importance of water related
issues in other goals and targets in order to reach the overall Agenda and the centrality of the “No One
Left Behind” principle,
Further recalling resolutions 68/157 of 18 December 2013 on the human right to safe drinking waterand sanitation and 70/169 of 17 December 2015 on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation of the United Nations General Assembly,
Taking note of the efforts and extensive work carried out by the High-Level Panel on Water,1

Acknowledging the additional challenges facing countries with water scarcity and concerned with theimpacts of such challenges, including inter alia their ability to achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals,
Highlighting the challenge of rapid population growth and the importance of water management indisaster risk reduction in mitigating and adapting to climate change and in ensuring ecosystem protection, particularly of watersheds in mountain areas, wetlands, deltas and in coastal zones, in order toincrease the resilience of communities, and noting that water management can contribute, as applicable,
to the implementation of relevant multilateral agreements, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the 2015 Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
Stressing the need to manage in an integrated and sustainable manner water resources from source tosea around the water, food, energy and environment nexus, including by promoting the concept ofcircular economy and other relevant solutions to reduce, recycle and safely reuse water,
Expressing concern about the current and projected adverse impacts of climate change on water resources and sanitation, as well as the challenges posed by pathogens, nutrients and emerging pollutants,
including pharmaceuticals and microplastics, that are threatening human health and the quality of surface and groundwater,
Bearing in mind the need to implement integrated urban water management, including sustainablewaste management systems, in line with the New Urban Agenda, as part of Integrated Water Resource
Management, by implementing inter alia nature-based solutions, decentralized wastewater management and improved rainwater management and harvesting,
Recognizing that, according to Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report 2018 on Water andSanitation, the world is not on track to achieve water-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets at the global level by 2030 at the current rate of progress,
Recognizing that effective lake and river basin organizations, water planning and target setting at theappropriate levels, including of drinking water supply and sanitation safety, are key to the sustainable
management of water resources and require coordination of actors, development of infrastructure, benefit sharing and harmonization of national and basin wide development agendas,
Recognizing that parliamentarians and citizens make an important contribution to water governancealongside national governments, as well as regional and local authorities, as applicable,
Reemphasizing the key role of women for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6, theirinsufficient representation in water-related decision-making processes and among water professionals
at all levels, the disproportionate burden carried by many women and girls for water collection and use,
their specific needs of safe water and sanitation facilities and the need to create an enabling environment to address these issues,
Acknowledging the importance of ensuring water availability for civilians and protecting civilian water
infrastructure and service delivery in the event of conflicts and natural disasters, as well as for refugee
and migrant populations living in informal or inadequate housing,Looking forward to the Mid-Term Review of the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028, as an important milestone focused on the goals of the Decade andwater-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets,
Noting the ongoing efforts by UN-Water in responding to the expectations of the international community, supporting the monitoring of the SDG 6 targets and providing coordination among its members,2

Also noting the possibility to create an International Center for the Water Action Decade in Dushanbewith the support of the Government of Tajikistan and other interested parties to sustain the process
towards implementation of the goals of the Water Action Decade and the organization of Water Action
Decade Conferences,

Hereby reiterate our determination to achieve the objectives of the Water Action Decade and declareto:Promote, at the local, national, regional and global levels, opportunities for public and private investment in infrastructure, including through the development of innovative financial instruments andmechanisms, and seek to increase the efficiency of investment to conserve and sustainably manage
freshwater, wastewater and water contained in soil and vegetation, support community-based efforts
and develop non-conventional water resources, such as water reuse and desalination;
Strengthen the capacities, resources and skills, as well as improve knowledge generation and exchangeof practices, to support national and local governments in achieving the Sustainable Development
Goals, particularly in those countries and for those people furthest behind;Make concentrated and coordinated efforts to build innovative, robust, flexible and fair systems forsource to sea Integrated Water Resources Management, to increase water use efficiency and productivity, particularly in agriculture, energy, tourism, urban and rural development, as well as industry, tobetter appreciate the value of water and associated ecosystem services, to reduce emissions and thetransport of hazardous substances and to take into consideration the serious impacts on the quality andavailability of water resources caused from extractive activities;Commit to reduce inequalities in access and ensure affordability of safe drinking water and sanitation
services that are basic human needs, essential to the health and well-being of families and communities,
to avoid any kind of discrimination and to support countries and communities with specific needs andpeople suffering from poverty and in vulnerable situations, especially women, children, the elderly,
people with disabilities and those living in remote areas, going beyond the household, particularly
targeting schools, healthcare facilities and workplaces;
Improve communication and access to practical, water-related information and funding to empower
communities at all levels, through clear messages, to promote participation, equity, improved accountability and social innovation, supporting the engagement of civil society representatives in decisionmaking processes related to the rational, transparent and sustainable use and management of waterresources and the provision of water-related services;
Step up the efforts to develop tools, build institutional and human resources capacity, foster technology
exchange, improve data that are appropriately disaggregated, disseminate knowledge, including traditional knowledge, skills and enhanced scientific and technical know-how to better understand the water
cycle, contribute to the identification of appropriate solutions, including through South-South and triangular cooperation and improved research, education and training with a local perspective and special
attention to children and youth;
Facilitate partnerships at all levels among different kinds of stakeholders, including public authorities,
the private sector, civil society organizations and academia, with the engagement of women, youth,
local communities and indigenous peoples, as appropriate, to develop and implement actions that address problems related to water and sanitation at suitable levels and to promote the all-of-society engagement necessary to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Prioritize water diplomacy and transboundary cooperation in line with the applicable principles ofinternational law by strengthening inter alia the means of information and data exchange, open andinclusive multi-level and intersectoral dialogue in order to foster mutually beneficial solutions and3institutional arrangements, such as basin commissions and plans, among riparian countries, for thedevelopment of transboundary river basins, lakes and aquifers and for protection of ecosystems andrecharge zones;
Promote actions to address water-related disasters by significantly decreasing loss of life and damage
as percentage of gross domestic product, by treating investment in disaster risk reduction as integral toexpanding capacity for socioeconomic growth, by integrating science into policy, by substantially increasing investment in disaster risk reduction and establishing financing and investment principles andby supporting alliance of alliances in recognition that climate change may exacerbate water-related
disasters, contributing to promote action for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction activities;
Recall the United Nations Secretary General’s plan for the Water Action Decade 2018-2028 as a blueprint to coordinate and catalyze action throughout the Decade and invite the United Nations Secretary
General to report to the Member States about the progress made by the United Nations and its entities
with the implementation of this action plan;
Note the intention of the Government of Tajikistan to hold Water Action Decade Conferences in Dushanbe on a biennial basis and to keep organizing them in an open and inclusive manner and invite allstates, the United Nations, including UN-Water, and other relevant stakeholders, to actively participate
in this Dushanbe Process;Invite countries to consider the establishment of Water Action Decade centers and partnerships on
specific themes, such as one for water and disasters, or at the regional level and use the already existingwater-related centers, programs and partnerships, such as those under the auspices of the United Nations and its entities, including UNESCO Centers and Chairs, as useful mechanisms to enhance dialogue, cooperation, technical and scientific transfer and development for the effective implementationof the Decade;Further invite all Member States to consider appointing water champions, who will play a mobilizingrole for the Water Action Decade;Strongly recommend Member States to prepare and adopt national strategies and plans and implement
actions for the achievement of the water-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets, as wellas the goals of the Water Action Decade;Ask the United Nations, within existing resources, regional organizations, International Financial Institutions, philanthropic organizations, the private sector and development partners to support the implementation of the Water Action Decade, particularly in developing countries, Least Developed Countries, countries suffering from water scarcity, Small Island Developing States and Land-Locked Developing Countries and middle-income countries, considering their specific circumstances;
Request the Government of Tajikistan to present the Chair’s Summary of this Conference, accompanied by this Declaration, to the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, to the United
Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and other relevant venues;
Urge all Member States to actively participate in the preparation process of a United Nations General
Assembly resolution on the Mid-Term Comprehensive Review of the International Decade for Action“Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028, to be undertaken during the 77th session of theUnited Nations General Assembly;
Request the Secretariat of this First High-Level International Conference on the International Decadefor Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028, to collect, in collaboration with the International Steering Committee, the actions and partnerships that were proposed by the participatingstates and organizations during this Conference in a document to be entitled “Call for Action and Partnership”;
4Invite the participating states and organizations to share the progress made on the actions and partnerships proposed during this Conference at inter alia the Second Water Action Decade Conference, andas a contribution towards the Mid-Term Review of the Decade;Decide that the theme of the Second Water Action Decade Conference shall be “catalyzing water action
and partnership at the local, national, regional and global levels” to achieve the goals of the Water
Action Decade and water-related Sustainable Development Goals and targets;
Express our sincere appreciation to the Government of Tajikistan for hosting the Water Action Decade
Conferences in Dushanbe and for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to all participants; we also express our sincere appreciation to the United Nations Department of Economic andSocial Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, UN-Water and other partners for theirsupport.

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