Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 4

Written Answers. - World Water Forum.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

430 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will make a statement on the World Water Forum to be held in Kyoto on 17 March; and if he will address the concerns of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin. [4391/03]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen):

The forum comprises a series of more than 300 events which will take place across the three cities of Kyoto, Osaka and Shiga in Japan over the period 16 to 23 March. It will provide a forum for broad based discussion on water management issues by Government representatives, experts, stakeholders and non-governmental organisations. The WWF is promoted by the World Water Council, representative of academic, professional and environmental bodies and persons with an interest in water management and protection and is hosted by the Government of Japan.

While the forum's conclusions will not have formal status or binding effect, the forum provides an opportunity to reaffirm political will towards solving outstanding global water issues and identifying concrete actions for expanding co-operation and initiatives on water at various levels. In particular, it presents an opportunity to support a substantial follow-up towards implementation of the water related targets set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. These targets include the halving by 2015 of the proportion of the world population currently without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. The WSSD plan of implementation adopted at Johannesburg refers to the need for action to provide safe drinking water in the context of poverty eradication, protection of human health and protection and management of the natural resource base of economic and social development. It acknowl edges the need to adopt an integrated water basin approach and the need for actions at all levels, including through regulation, monitoring, voluntary measures, market and information based tools, land use management and cost recovery of water services, without cost recovery objectives becoming a barrier to access to safe water by poor people.

The European Union formally launched its global water initiative in Johannesburg on 3 September 2002. It is aimed at creating strategic partnerships to achieve the WSSD goals on clean water and sanitation. The initiative will be under development until the end of 2003 and a progress report will be presented at the WWF. Its initial focus will be on Africa and the newly independent States of the former Soviet Union. In this context the EU has entered an EU-Africa Water for Life agreement. This will help its partners to develop integrated water resources management plans by 2005 that will support achievement of the WSSD goals.

The EU's commitment to supporting developing countries under its water initiative and the WSSD targets in that regard is not affected by its objectives in the context of WTO negotiations on trade in services to give improved market access for its service sector suppliers.