Regional Workshop on achieving equitable access to water and sanitation: from assessment to action

The workshop brought together 60 experts working in the water and sanitation sectors as well as other sectors such as environment, education, health, regional development and social protection to exchange experiences in achieving equitable access to water and sanitation in the pan-European region and beyond.

During the workshop, the following themes were discussed:

1. Priority gaps and actions needed across the pan-European region to achieve equitable access to water and sanitation, as well as role of key actors to be engaged for their effective implementation;
2. Possible ways to integrate actions to achieve equitable access into water and non-water sectors policy processes and plans;
3. Financial implications of actions to achieve equitable access and possible options to finance them.

Progress of the work on assessing equitable access to water and sanitation under the Protocol on Water and Health was reviewed. The outcomes of the discussion will inform the development of the draft Strategic note on action plans to achieve equitable access to water and sanitation and guide future activities in this area in the 2017-2019 work programme under the Protocol.

The workshop was organized by UNECE in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the French Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Hungarian Office of the Chief Medical Officer.