On 22 March 2021, World Water Day will be celebrated in an online event. The World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis, and a core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water. The value of water is about much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, food, culture, health, education, economics, and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource. SDG 6 is to ensure water and sanitation for all. Without a comprehensive understanding of water’s true, multidimensional value, we will be unable to safeguard this critical resource for the benefit of everyone.
On the day itself, the United Nations World Water Development Report is also released, focusing on the same topic as the campaign and recommending policy direction to decision makers.
Drafted agenda for the World Water Day 2021 – Valuing Water:
13:00 – 13:40 (CST) High-Level Opening Ceremony
Master of Ceremony Ms. Sasha Koo-Oshima, Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
Welcoming address by Mr. QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO
Opening address by Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO
Opening address by Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Chair, UN-Water and President of IFAD
Message from Special Guests
H.E. Mr. Macky Sall, President, Republic of Senegal
His Holiness Pope Francis
H.E. Mr. Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Italy
H.E. Mr. Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan
H.E. Ms. Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, The Kingdom of Netherlands
H.E. Mr. Jonathan Malagón González, Minister of Housing, Cities and Territory of the Republic of Colombia
13:40 – 13:50 Presentation of the UN World Water Development Report 2021
Ms. Michela Miletto, Coordinator and Director, UNESCO WWAP
13:50 – 14:25 Interactive discussion – what does water mean to you?
Moderator Mr. Neil Dhot, Executive Director, Aquafed (UK)
Ms. Rasha Hassan, Governance Coordinator, Water Youth Network (Syria)
Mr. Mohammed Hammie Rajab, Journalist and Facilitator of Change, Media for Community Empowerment (Civil Society Organisation) (Tanzania)
Keynote listener Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation (Spain)
14:25 – 14:30 Announcement of the winner of the Stockholm Water Prize
Mr. Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director, SIWI (Sweden)
14:30 Closing of the celebration
Register for the World Water Day 2021 event here.
- Download the Save the date.
- World Water Day website.
This post will expire on Friday April 16th, 2021 5:43pm
