Italy and Kazakhstan have committed to reinforce action to uphold human rights to water and sanitation for all by joining the Protocol on Water and Health, at the milestone UN Water Conference just held in New York. Hungary and Albania also committed to further actions in this area, as did UNECE and WHO/Europe, who jointly service the Protocol. With 27 states already Party to the Protocol, and with over 40 countries working in its framework, the expanded membership would not only drive national action on water, sanitation, hygiene and health in the pan-European region, but also further reinforce the exchange of experience, practical solutions and know-how. These commitments make up one of the key outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference – the Water Action Agenda – which will serve to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation.

Iraq made history at the UN Water Conference as the first country in the Middle East to join the United Nations Water Convention. It became the 49th Party to this unique international legal and intergovernmental framework, which aims to ensure the sustainable use of transboundary water resources by facilitating cooperation across borders. Nearly all Arab States draw upon transboundary water resources that cross one or more international boundaries. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Basins are the most important sources of surface water for some 237 million people across Iraq (43.5 million), Iran (88 million), Syria (21 million) and Türkiye (85 million). With 153 countries sharing water resources worldwide, water cooperation is a critical issue for the entire sustainable development agenda.