• 8th Meeting
  May 30-June 1, 2007
  Shanghai, China
  
• 7th Meeting
  December 13-15, 2006
  Tunis, Tunisia
  
• 6th Meeting
  July 10-11, 2006
  Paris, France
  
• 5th Meeting
  March 14-15, 2006
  and 4th World Water Forum
  March 16-22, 2006
  Mexico City, Mexico
  
• 4th Meeting
  February 20-21, 2006
  Berlin, Germany
  
• 3rd Meeting
  November 3-4, 2005
  Rome, Italy
  
• 2nd Meeting
  December 9-10, 2004
  Tokyo, Japan
  
• 1st Meeting
  July 22-23, 2004
  New York, USA
  

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The first session of the Advisory Board took place on July 22nd and 23rd, 2004 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

During the first session, the Advisory Board agreed on ten issues as thematic priorities that need to be addressed in order to achieve the water-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and time-bound target set at the Johannesburg Summit.

The Board Members also agreed that the Board would be an independent group with the mission of providing strategic water and sanitation advice which leads to actions with high political visibility.

It was decided that the Second Meeting of the Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and its working groups would be held on December 9th and 10th in Tokyo in conjunction with the International Conference on Integrated Water Resources Management.

1. Opening

The first meeting of the Advisory Board took place on July 22nd and 23rd, 2004 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, invited the Board to assess the progress toward achieving the water and sanitation goals; to help raise the political visibility of water and sanitation by being advocates for action; and to help mobilise human and financial resources. The Secretary-General also invited the Board to encourage governments and organs of the international system to maintain and upgrade data and statistics quality for improved monitoring of policies and actions.
>>Read full text (English/ French/ Spanish)

Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, Chairman of the Board, highlighted the need for a broad perspective in identifying and addressing common fundamental principles on water. He emphasised the multi-faceted nature of water and sanitation, which includes issues such as poverty eradication and the reduction of water-related disasters.
>>Read full text (English/ French/ Spanish)

The Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Jose Antonio Ocampo, introduced the Board members and outlined key questions for discussion. Mr. Ocampo invited the Board to discuss means of building political will, mobilizing resources, promoting partnerships, implementing IWRM and strengthening monitoring, along with other issues.

Mr. James Bartram, Chairman of UN-Water, presented the results of a mid-term assessment of progress in meeting water and sanitation targets. The assessment, prepared by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, provided updates on progress on a region-by-region basis.

2. Outcome of the Meeting

The Advisory Board agreed on the following ten issues as the thematic priorities that need to be addressed in order to achieve the water-related MDGs and time-bound targets set at the Johannesburg Summit:

1. Political will / accountability
2. Water as a human right - social dimension
3. Financing
4. Capacity building
5. Water-related Disasters
6. Integrated Water Resource Management
7. Technology
8. Partnership
9. Respective role of private and public sector
10. Monitoring and Statistics on water resources, water supply and sanitation

The Advisory Board members agreed that the board would be an independent group with a mission of providing strategic advice with regard to water and sanitation which leads to actions with high political visibility. The group is not a report-drafting forum. The following activities were identified:

1. Three Working Groups (Commitments, Mobilization, Integrated Water Resources Management and Others) will be established in order to provide strategic advice to the Secretary General of the United Nations.
   >>See Structure of Thematic Working Groups (English/ Spanish/ Japanese)
   
   
2. The Advisory Board will meet with a wide range of stakeholders such as heads of states and governments, ministers, mayors, workers and other stakeholders in charge of water and sanitation issues, and will make intervention to the appropriate decision makers.
3. The Advisory Board will make interventions at the 13th Session of Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD13: April 2005) and United Nations MDGs Review Event (September 2005).

As for future plans, the Second Session of the Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and its working groups will be held on December 9th to 10th in Tokyo in conjunction with the International Conference on Integrated Water Resources Management (organizers: Japan Water Forum, Global Water Partnership, and others). It was also agreed that the Advisory Board would provide input to the major conferences including the 13th Session of Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD13, April 2005), MDG Review Event at the UN General Assembly (September 2005) and the 4th World Water Forum (March 2006).

The Board Members at the 1st Session in NY	Mr. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, and the Board Members
Mr. Kofi Annan and Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, Chairman of the Board