First session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health
WHO/Cristiana Salvi
Geneva, Switzerland, 17–19 January 2007
The meeting was attended by more than 140 participants representing 21 Parties (ratifying countries), 7 Signatories, 9 countries from within and outside the WHO European Region, as well as members of civil society.
Parties adopted the work programme for 2007-2009 and agreed on legal documents, particularly the Rules of Procedure and the compliance regime.
In a formal joint declaration, Parties and Signatories reaffirmed their commitment to the Protocol’s goal of providing access to safe water and adequate sanitation to all, thus making the Protocol a key instrument for ensuring access to safe water (a recognized basic human right) and for reaching the water-related Millennium Development Goals (particularly Goal 7 Target 10).
The declaration:
- recognized the need to extend the current information system on water supply and sanitation as a tool for national target setting, progress monitoring and reporting;
- established an ad hoc project facilitation mechanism to help in accessing financial support by countries from South eastern Europe, eastern Europe, Caucasus and central Asia;
- requested the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and WHO/Europe as co-Secretariat to the Protocol to provide adequate resources for the Joint Secretariat and for the implementation of the adopted work programme;
- invited donors, financial institutions, and funding mechanisms to give high priority to country mechanisms.
Further main decisions
- Activities and priorities of work would be mainstreaming into WHO policy-making. This decision highlights the conformity of the work under the Protocol with the country strategy adopted by WHO/Europe. Parties invited the decision-making bodies of WHO/Europe to note and support their decisions to avoid overlap and ensure synergy in servicing country needs.
- Focal points will have a particular responsibility in ensuring that country priorities in relation to water and health are brought to the attention of the Meeting of the Parties for appropriate action.
- Two trust funds were created under the Protocol, for activities in the health and environment fields.
