During her first duty at the 40th UN-Water Meeting in New York on November 4, she stated that addressing water issues was vital for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring world peace and prosperity.
"Cooperation and collaboration are the keys to accelerating development," Marsudi noted in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"This is especially considering that two major obstacles, including limited resources and limited time, currently hinder efforts to address water issues worldwide," said the former Indonesian Foreign Minister.
Citing a World Bank report, she warned that the available resources are severely limited. By 2030, the development of global water infrastructure will require US$6.7 trillion.
Additionally, the world faces several deadlines in addressing global water issues, including the UN 2026 Water Conference, the final stage of the 2028 Water Action Decade, and the 2030 Agenda target achievement.
Therefore, Marsudi urged the international community to work together to ensure the strengthening of implementation facilities, including funding, for improving water quality and sanitation. She also invited UN-Water members and partners to bolster their efforts.
During the meeting, UN-Water Chair Alvaro Lario emphasized the importance of mainstreaming water issues into all relevant UN discussion agendas and processes, including the Financing for Development agenda.
Lario also welcomed Marsudi, who recently started her mandate as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Water, expressing hope of collaborating more closely with her.
The biennial UN-Water Meeting, which was held on November 4-5 and attended by 130 participants from all UN-Water members and partners, serves as a coordination mechanism for UN agencies on water issues.
Marsudi's participation marked her first assignment since officially beginning her mandate on November 1.
Related news: Climate mitigation supports survival of archipelagic countries: Retno
Related news: Marsudi ready to spotlight water issues at global level
Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
