UN water
UN-Water strengthens coordination and coherence among UN entities dealing with issues related to all aspects of freshwater and sanitation. This includes surface and groundwater resources, the interface between freshwater and seawater and water-related disasters.
A coherent, coordinated approach is clearly required as these issues represent some of the most urgent development challenges of our time. We must manage freshwater sustainably so that everyone has enough water to drink and stay clean and healthy; food producers have enough water to satisfy the demands of growing populations; industries have enough water to meet their needs; and countries have opportunities to secure a reliable supply of energy.
Within UN-Water, the Thematic Priority Area (TPA) on Water Supply and Basic Sanitation is a group of members who are committed to raising awareness and supporting global advocacy on these key issues, and coordinating advocacy efforts within the UN and between the UN and the Sanitation and Water for All partnership. It also supports regional and national dialogue. A core group within the TPA, led by the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), and including representatives from UNICEF, the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UN-DPC) and the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UN-DPAC), are coordinating Sustainable sanitation: the five year drive to 2015. The Drive builds on the advocacy work that was done by UN-Water in 2008, which was the "International Year of Sanitation". It also supports other efforts within the United Nations that are taking place within the framework of the International Decade for Action "Water for Life" 2005-2015.