Programmes and projects > Water and sanitation > Protocol on Water and Health > The Protocol in practice
Water and sanitation
 
Home
News and events
About water and health
Protocol on Water and Health
Working with countries
Collaborating centres
Publications
Environment and health at WHO/Europe
Related sites
Contacts
 
1st Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health. Geneva, Switzerland, 17-19 January 2007
 
Related links
 
  
arrow1st Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health. Geneva, Switzerland, 17-19 January 2007 [pdf] [external link] 
 Meeting report. Also available in French and Russian 
   
arrowProtocol on Water and Health: technical activities from the 2007–2009 work plan 
 As agreed by the First Meeting of the Parties (2007) 
   
arrowProtocol on Water and Health: operational procedures and subsidiary bodies 
 As decided by the First Meeting of the Parties (2007) 
   
arrowFull set of meeting documents [external link] 
 Including final documents, background documents and links to speeches and presentations 
   
arrowTwenty European countries meet to improve water management and curb water-related diseases 
 Note for the press 17 January 2007 
   
arrowAfter historic ratification, European countries meet for the first time to improve water management and curb water-related diseases 
 UNECE Press release 17 January 2007 
   
arrowRoundtable on "The human right to water and the Protocol on Water and Health: making access to water a reality" [external link] 
 The recognition of the human right to water is only the first step towards its implementation. How can this right be translated into reality? 
   
 

1st Meeting of the Parties to the Water Protocol (c) WHO/C. SalviAt their first meeting, Parties to the Protocol adopted the work programme for 2007-2009 and agreed on legal documents, particularly the Rules of Procedure and the compliance regime.

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, gathered for the event.

Summary

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 UNECE and WHO/Europe as co-Secretary 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

  • Mainstreaming activities and priorities of work into the policy-making of WHO
    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.
  • Designation and responsibilities of focal points
    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.
  • Establishment of Trust Funds under the Protocol
    Two Trust Funds were created, for activities in the health and environment field respectively.