ACCELERATING EFFORTS TO ADDRESS WATER POLLUTION AND TO PROTECT AND RESTORE WATER-RELATED ECOSYSTEMS Proposing Member State(s): The African Group Co-sponsoring Member States: Date submitted: 28 September, 2017 PREAMBLE General Assembly resolution 66/288 of 27 July 2012 entitled The Future We Want, Recalling which stressed the need to adopt measures to significantly reduce water pollution and improve wastewater treatment and governments committing to the progressive realization of access to safe and affordable drinking water and basic sanitation as well as General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable “Transforming our world: Development;” United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 2/5 of 3 August 2016, Further recalling entitled the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Resolutions 1/6 on “Delivering on marine plastic debris and micro-plastics; Resolutions 2/11 on marine plastic litter and Resolution 2/17, entitled the work of the United Nations Environment “Enhancing Programme in facilitating cooperation, collaboration and synergies among biodiversity-related conventions” Recalling Governing Council (GC) Decision 27/3 in 2013, which called for creation of also International Water Quality Guidelines for Ecosystems, to help interested countries set national standards for their own water quality; Nations Environment Assembly Resolution 1/9 of XX 2014 and Resolution Recalling United 2/23 of XX on the Global Environmental Monitoring System for Water (GEMS / Water); that while water-related ecosystems, including wetlands, freshwater, coastal and Recognizing marine bodies, are essential for sustainable development as enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, they sustain and bear the brunt of the impacts of human activities such as urbanization, poor sanitation, limited capacity, agriculture and industry including extractive industry; that pollution, through pathogens, organic matter and hazardous chemicals and Bearing in mind salinity could be affecting up to one-third of rivers in developing countries, and that these impacts are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, disasters and armed conflict; that an estimated 80-90% of wastewater worldwide currently gets released into water Noting bodies untreated, with negative impacts for fresh, coastal and marine ecosystems, biodiversity, human health and well-being, and livelihoods;
ACCELERATING EFFORTS TO ADDRESS WATER POLLUTION AND TO PROTECT AND RESTORE WATER-RELATED ECOSYSTEMS Proposing Member State(s): The African Group Co-sponsoring Member States: Date submitted: 28 September, 2017 PREAMBLE Recalling General Assembly resolution 66/288 of 27 July 2012 entitled The Future We Want, which stressed the need to adopt measures to significantly reduce water pollution and improve wastewater treatment and governments committing to the progressive realization of access to safe and affordable drinking water and basic sanitation as well as General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;” Further recalling United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 2/5 of 3 August 2016, entitled “Delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Resolutions 1/6 on marine plastic debris and micro-plastics; Resolutions 2/11 on marine plastic litter and Resolution 2/17, entitled “Enhancing the work of the United Nations Environment Programme in facilitating cooperation, collaboration and synergies among biodiversity-related conventions” Recalling also Governing Council (GC) Decision 27/3 in 2013, which called for creation of International Water Quality Guidelines for Ecosystems, to help interested countries set national standards for their own water quality; Recalling United Nations Environment Assembly Resolution 1/9 of XX 2014 and Resolution 2/23 of XX on the Global Environmental Monitoring System for Water (GEMS / Water); Recognizing that while water-related ecosystems, including wetlands, freshwater, coastal and marine bodies, are essential for sustainable development as enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, they sustain and bear the brunt of the impacts of human activities such as urbanization, poor sanitation, limited capacity, agriculture and industry including extractive industry; Bearing in mind that pollution, through pathogens, organic matter and hazardous chemicals and salinity could be affecting up to one-third of rivers in developing countries, and that these impacts are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, disasters and armed conflict; Noting that an estimated 80-90% of wastewater worldwide currently gets released into water bodies untreated, with negative impacts for fresh, coastal and marine ecosystems, biodiversity, human health and well-being, and livelihoods;