United Nations (EFE) Körösi.
Speaking at the closing session of the conference, Körösi said he was “astonished” by the solidarity shown by the participants, including governments (national, regional and local), multilateral organizations, financial institutions and various NGOs.
However, Körösi did not give details about the different projects and the amounts promised, also recalling that the commitments with which the conference closes (689 in total until this afternoon, although the list remains open until May 1) are not binding. .
A person dedicated to addressing water issues
One of the few tangible results of the forum was, as everyone expected, the announcement of a new figure of Special Envoy for Water, a position that will report to the Secretary General and whose identity is currently unknown.
A total of 149 countries had requested that this figure be formalized, with the understanding that only a senior position within the UN structure would be able to coordinate the different agencies and divisions of the organization to integrate water as a fundamental element in all their programs.
The spokesman for the General Secretariat Farhan Haq, in the daily press conference, hinted today that it was still premature to think about who could occupy that position.
In his closing speech, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said that from now on water “should be at the center of the political agenda” because it is related to issues as vital and urgent as health, hygiene, peace, the fight against poverty and job creation; furthermore, “water unites us all”, he emphasized.
In this sense, water “deserves a place as a fundamental human right,” he insisted.