UN High Level Political Forum side event 2023

Date: 17 July 2023, 18:30 – 20:00

Location: Conference Room A, UN Conference building, New York 

Moderator: Mrs Vida Duti, Country Director, IRC Ghana

Speakers:

  • Harold Adlai Agyeman, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations, New York
  • Hon Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, H.E. Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Ghana
  • Prof Joseph Alcamo, Director of the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme
  • Dr Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, Director-General, National Development Planning Commission, Ghana
  • Prof Mrs Esi Awuah, Commissioner at the National Development Planning Commission and former Foundation Vice-Chancellor, University of Energy and Natural Resources
  • Mr Alfred Okot Okidi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda
  • Prof George Gyan Baffour, Chairmain, National Development Planning Commission and Minister for Planning, Government of Ghana
  • UNICEF Representative

The government of Ghana and the ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ present:
“At the mid-point: Policies and measures for achieving SDG6"

As the International Decade for Action on Water and 2030 Agenda marks its halfway point with progress off track on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is essential to reflect on progress in and solutions for realising Sustainable Development Goal 6 - ensuring access to water and sanitation for all.

The global water goal was one of the SDGs focused on at this year’s important "at the mid-point"  (10-19 July 2023), an annual meeting of governments and experts held by the UN General Assembly in New York to review progress on the SDGs. Despite the progress made, the UN estimates that 1.6 billion people will still lack safe drinking water, and 2.8 billion safe sanitation in 2030. It is clear that much work still needs to be done.

On this occasion the ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ, Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) and Government of Ghana convened an official HLPF side event for experts and delegates to debate priorities for reaching SDG 6, building on experience in Ghana and other countries.

The side event provided a platform for an open conversation and dialogue among countries, stakeholders and partners, with discussions covering topics such as:

  • building synergies across the SDGs to strengthen coordination for effective WASH Systems;
  • improving and strengthening WASH prioritisation and capacity-building;
  • accelerating the improvement of sanitation services; financing of water supply and sanitation infrastructure;
  • addressing issues of water quality and pollution of water resources;
  • subsidies for agriculture and water and effects on excessive water consumption;
  • and effective partnerships for advancing SDG 6.

The side event entitled 'At the mid-point: Policies and measures for achieving SDG 6', built on SSRP's previous Ghana partnership successes in 2018 with a focus on the discussions of HLPF Day 2 and deliberations from the UN Water Conference in March 2023 where delegates emphatically called for greater collaboration and innovation to address the transboundary challenges and transformations needed to accelerate progress.

Further information

 (20 June 2023)

Outline of SSRP UoS Ghana HLPF side event 2023 [PDF 540.41KB]

HLPF 2023 - Joseph Alcamo UN High-Level Political Forum Ghana side event presentation [PDF 750.86KB]

ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ news item, 'At the mid-point: Policies and measures for achieving clean water and sanitation for all', July 2023.

Impressions from the HLPF 2023 side event

participants pictured in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event close up of speaker in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event close up of speaker in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event close up of moderator Mrs Vida Duti, in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event participants pictured in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event SSRP Director Joseph Alcamo speaking in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event participants pictured in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event moderator Mrs Vida Duti (left) and speaker Mr Alfred Okot Okidi (right) sitting next to each other pictured in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event speakers Prof George Gyan Baffour (left) and H.E. Harold Adlai Agyeman (right) sitting next to each other pictured in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event country representatives, speakers and participants pictured standing behind their desks in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event moderator Mrs Vida Duti (middle) with Prof George Gyan Baffour (right) and another conference participant (left) standing in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event posing for a picture conference particpants and country representatives, including moderator Mrs Vida Duti, Prof Joseph Alcamo and Ms Katie Hiscock standing in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event posing for a picture Prof George Gyan Baffour (right) shaking hands with another conference participant (left) in the UN conference room during the High-Level Political Forum side event posing for a picture

Summary recording of the HLPF side event 2023