Introduction to the Protocol on Water and Health and its 5th session of the Meeting of the Parties

Francesca BernardiniCo-Secretary of the Protocol on Water and Health, UNECE

Bruce GordonWorld Health Organization

(On behalf of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Co-Secretariat of the Protocol on Water and Health)

Why a treaty to manage water resources and prevent water-related diseases?

WHO 2016

•36 million lack access to basic sanitation services•21 million do not use basic drinking-water services

•57 million do not enjoy piped water at premises

•3/4 without basic drinking-water services live in rural areas •30% and 60% of urban wastewater, in high- and upper-middle

income countries released to the environment without treatment

•Growing water scarcity and climate change impacts threaten sustainable development in the region

•Water-related diseases are of common occurrence in the pan-European region, incidents and outbreaks caused by legionella, viruses and parasites are emerging

The Protocol on Water and Health

World’s only legal treaty designed to reduce water-related deaths and diseases through improved water management in the pan-European region

& provide joint secretariat services

It is up to the countries to translate its legal provisions into the reality of greater access to safe water, improved sanitation, and sustainable water management

As of 2019, 26 countries are Parties to the Protocol

The Protocol on Water and Health & the Agenda 2030: Coherence of approaches

Address the whole water cycleFocus on intersectoralityFocus on inequalitiesDefine ultimate objectives and

countries set its own targets Follow-up and review of progress

A Practical guide for joint implementation available for countries by summer 2019.

Institutional framework

Meeting of the Parties (MOP)

Joint Secretariat UNECE & WHO Regional Office for Europe

Compliance Committee

Bureau

Task Force on Target-setting and Reporting

Technical expert groups: • Equitable access• WASH in schools• WASH in health care

facilities• Surveillance of water

quality and water-related diseases

Working Group on Water and Health

Benefits for the Parties Shape and lead priorities

of the pan-Europeanwater, sanitation and health agenda

Exchange experience, foster collaboration

Take on formal roles in bodies of the Protocol

Take part in shaping the Protocol’s Programme of Work

Work closely with secretariat and receivesupport for Protocol implementation

Compliance CommitteeCommittee is an independent body composed of 9 experts which facilitate, promote and secure compliance with the obligations under the Protocol, with a view to preventing disputes

The Committee also provides advice to Parties within consultation process (analyzing implementation issues, providing recommendations, helping countries to seek support from donors/specialized agencies)

MembershipMembers serve in their personal capacity and are elected by the Meeting of the Parties, from candidates nominated by Parties MOP5 will elect 5 new membersDeadline for candidatures: 27 August 2019

The Protocol adresses the main challenges with a chain of support activities

Evidence Guidance Capacitybuilding

Setting targetsand reporting

Assistance to implementation

Strengthening political commitment for long-term impact

Review of evidence on WASH in healthcare facilities, drinking water quality, equitable access to water and sanitation

Guidance on water supply and sanitation in extreme weather events

Country or sub-regional training workshops (e.g. on sanitation, climate change)

Target development through intersectoral coordination mechanism

Support from the joint secretariat and from other Parties

A wealth of guidance and tools has been developed under the Protocol framework to support pan-European countries in improving access to safe water and sanitation

Guidance and tools

Programme of work 2020-2022

Programme area 1 Improving governance for water and health

Objective: Reinforce the implementation of the core provisions of the Protocol on target setting and reportingHow?• Provide support to set targets and target dates and to establish action plans and

implement measures towards the achievement of the targets set• Support in translating the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, the Ostrava

Declaration• Promote exchange of experiences and good practices on the common challenges,

approaches and benefits of implementing the Protocol on regional and subregionallevel

• Promote public participation in implementing the Protocol (setting targets/dates)• Provide assistance in strengthening the reporting capacity, including through

aligning the reporting under the Protocol with the 2030 Agenda monitoring process

Programme area 2 Prevention and reduction of water-related diseasesObjectives: - Strengthen national and local capacities with regard to

improving, maintaining and sustaining vigilant public health surveillance and early warning systems of water-related disease;

- Enhance preparedness, outbreak responses and investigation capacities

- Support the building of effective systems for surveillance of drinking water quality.

How?• Strengthen capacity in surveillance of water-related diseases and

outbreak management• Strengthen capacity in uptake of risk-based approaches in

drinking-water quality surveillance

Programme area 3 Institutional water, sanitation and hygieneObjective: Support in ensuring water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in institutional settings, particularly in schools, kindergartensand health-care facilities.

How?• Strengthen action towards improving water, sanitation and hygiene

in schools (Actions planned: dissemination and uptake of tool for surveillance of WASH, collection of evidence, practical guidance document on available sanitation options for schools..)

• Strengthen action towards improving water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care facilities (Actions planned: dissemination and uptake of review of evidence on WASH in health-care facilities i in the pan-European region, Develop a practical surveillance tool for data collection on WASH in healthcare facilities, organize a regional meetings..)

Programme area 4Small-scale water supplies and sanitationObjectives: - Increase policy attention to small-scale water supply and sanitation systems; - Support policy uptake and the implementation of approaches based on good

practices in the regulation, management and surveillance of small-scale water supply and sanitation at national and local levels;

- assist countries in improving access to safe, sustainable and equitable drinking water and sanitation services in rural areas, small towns and peri-urban areas.

How?Improve the evidence base for better policy development for

small-scale systems Strengthen the application of approaches to safe management

of small-scale systems Strengthen capacity for the sustainable financing of small-scale

systems

Programme area 5Safe and efficient management of water supply and sanitation systems

Objective: Strengthen national capacities with regard to the sustainable management of water resources and scaling-up risk-based management approaches

How?Scale-up the adoption of water and sanitation safety plansFocus policy attention and technical efforts on sanitationFocus policy attention on increasing climate resilience

Programme area 6Equitable access to water and sanitation: translating the human right to water and sanitation into practice

Objective: Support the implementation of the Protocol’s requirement to ensure access to water and sanitation for all, including those suffering a disadvantage or social exclusion and thereby the progressive realization of the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

How?Raise awareness about the situation of equitable access to

water and sanitation (self-assessment exercise)Foster the adoption and implementation of measures to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation

Programme area 7Increasing resilience to climate changeObjective : Strengthen resilience of communities to water-related disasters and other effects induced by climate change through How?- capacity building - experience exchange Issues to be covered: • Preparing for and responding to extreme

weather events• Climate resilience of water and wastewater

operators• Climate resilience of drinking water supply and

sanitation services in urban areas

Programme area 8Assistance to support implementation at the national level

Objective: Assist Parties and other States in :1) Securing government commitment and ownership

with regard to accession to the Protocol (helping them to understand its benefits, assessing their needs, and providing advice on the accession procedure

2) Providing tailor-made support to set/revising targets, establish action plans and implement measures to achieve them

4th reporting cycle in 2019

Thematic coverage of reportsThe reporting template includes, inter alia, data on:

• Quality of the drinking water supply• Outbreaks and incidence of infectious diseases related to water• Access to drinking water and sanitation• Levels of performance of collective systems and other systems for

sanitation• Effectiveness of management, protection and use of

freshwater resources

Participation in the 4th reporting cycle: 24 out of 26 Parties have so far submitted their reports 4 non-Parties submitted reports on voluntary basis

More than 200 representatives of Ministries responsible for water, health and environmental issues from Parties and non-Parties to the Protocol, international and non-governmental organizations and academia from the pan-European region

Only UN intergovernmental forum in the pan-European region discussingwater and health challenges from a social and environmental perspective

19-21 November 2019 in Belgrade in the Palace of Serbia

Programme of the 5th meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health

19 November 2019:High-level segment on key issues related to the achievement of the water and health-related SDGs

19-21 November 2019:General segment: discussions on activities carried out under the Protocol on Water and Health and adoption of decisions including the Protocol’s programme of work for 2020-2022

In parallel during the 3 days:Thematic side events organized by partners on various topics

High-level segment / 19 November 2019

Target participants: Ministers (and other high-level officials: Deputy Ministers,

State Secretaries, Permanent Secretaries) of countries from the pan-European regions

Heads of agencies

Topics to be discussed: Interlinkages of environmental, health, social and economic challenges relevant to the Protocol and the SDGs:- Climate change and water scarcity- Equity of access to water and sanitation for all in all settings- Sanitation challenge and circular economy - Financing of water and sanitation services- Antimicrobial resistance and legionella- Value of international cooperation

General segment / 19-21 November 2019

Improving governance for water and health (setting targets)

Prevention and reduction of water-related diseases

Institutional water, sanitation and hygiene (schools and health care facilities)

Small scale water supplies and sanitation

Safe and efficient management of water supply and sanitation systems

Equitable access to water and sanitation

Increasing resilience to climate change

The meeting of the Parties will also:

Review of progress from the 4th

reporting cycle under the Protocol

Adopt the new programme of work of the Protocol for 2020–2022

Main decisions and documents to be adopted

• Programme of work for 2020-2022

• Decision on general issue of compliance

• Election of members of the Compliance Committee

• Documents:- Protocol on Water and Health and the 2030 Agenda: A practical guide for joint implementation- Guide on water-related disease surveillance and outbreak management- Guide on risk-based approaches towards strengthening drinking water quality surveillance- Public health surveillance of WASH in schools- Toolkit on WASH in schools for school managers- Human rights to water and sanitation in practice: Findings and lessons learned from the work

on equitable access to water and sanitation under the Protocol

=> Representatives of Parties need credentials

Take away messages

The Protocol on Water and Health• Offers an attractive opportunity for countries committed to the SDGs• Provides a key instrument to implement the 2030 Agenda

What is the MOP 5?• It is THE platform to advance the water, sanitation and health agenda in the pan-

European reagion. • Your country should participate at high-level to exchange experiences and foster

progress on these vital topics

Contacts:

protocol.water_health@un.org

francesca.bernardini@un.org

schmollo@who.int

Thank you for yourattention!

More information:

www.unece.org/env/water.html

www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/water-and-sanitation