In a long-anticipated event, the UN’s High Level Political Forum (HLPF) met in New York in July, to review progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, including, for the first time, the one dedicated to water, SDG 6. A GWP delegation was present, communicating key messages from its global network of 3,000-plus partners.

From August 2017 to February 2018, GWP convened 34 country level consultations at the request of UN Environment, the UN’s custodian agency for SDG 6.5.1 – the indicator that measures the implementation of an integrated approach to water resources management (IWRM). The purpose of the consultations was to collect reliable data on that indicator.

In alignment with the principles of integration, the workshops brought together diverse stakeholders, including government, the private sector, and civil society. Participants discussed the status of water management in-country and completed the official SDG 6.5.1 questionnaire in a collaborative manner.

The baseline data collected by the workshops was included in UN-Water’s SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation, the key document for the HLPF to assess progress on the goal. The data also highlights areas that countries will have to prioritize if they want to achieve the targets in SDG 6 by 2030. “We are not on track” was one of the key messages in the UN-Water report. Another – “Putting integrated water resources management (IWRM) into practice will be the most comprehensive step that countries make towards achieving SDG 6” – is one that affirms GWP’s mission.

UN-Water, until 14 September 2018, is seeking input from the public on the report’s findings.