L'eau dans la stratégie du millénaire après 2015 : participer à la discussion

In July 2012, the Secretary general of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon announced that 27 members of a high level group advises on the overall framework of development beyond 2015, the date deadline of the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Two leading manufacturers have been invited by the Secretary-General to join this important group, Ms. Betty Maina, Chief Executive of the Kenya Manufacturers Association and Mr. Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer of Unilever.

In order to reach out to the business community, Paul asked me to act as an Ambassador for the water to help assemble a broader and more coherent global presentation. Under this approach, I hope that we will be able to benefit from advice of members of the Global Compact water UN mandate.

At the same time, I would like to take this opportunity to launch a broad consultation on how the world should look to the water after 2015, including look at what strategies related to water would help the international community to focus on issues more important in global development efforts after 2015.

After the first two meetings, the Panel arrived at the point where it begins to consider of which the original MDGs targets should be maintained, has dropped or added. Here are the questions Paul asked me to comment on.

The water of the MDGs related is focused on access to drinking water and sanitation, which is to reduce by half, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to drinking water and sanitation (target 7 c), as well as on the water as part of efforts to reverse the loss of environmental resources.

In the weeks that follow, we will address the following questions (click on each to see my proposed answers):

1 Have been useful original targets in the mind of the Government, companies and civil society with emphasis on the water crisis and its importance in social and economic development overall?

2. What remains to be done before that date to complete the work begun in 2000?

3. On the assumption that we would like the goals after 2015 to still include a target on water, how should frame us? What would the key progress and success measures?

4. What role and responsibility of the private sector to take delivering these objectives?

5. What would you do the Governments?

I invite you to start commenting now and provide the substance that can help to answer the five questions. And in the coming weeks, I'll share a few initial ideas for discussion.