Event

2022 Social Forum: Water for human rights and sustainable development

A conference focusing on water for human rights and sustainable development will be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland and online on 3-4 November.

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people holding water

Lining up for water in a displaced persons camp in Darfur.

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On 4 November, at 11 am CET, WCC deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri will join the plenary on Water for Climate, Resilience and Environment, followed by an interactive dialogue. WCC coordinator of the Ecumenical Water Network Dinesh Suna will join the following session, entitled "Water for peace and cooperation,” at noon CET.

As a unique space for interactive dialogue between United Nations human rights experts and various stakeholders, including civil society and grassroots organizations, the 2022 Social Forum will focus on good practices, lessons learned. and challenges in implementing the International Decade for Action, "Water for Sustainable Development,” 2018–2028 to make a human rights-related contribution to the conference on the midterm review of the Decade, to be held in 2023.

Draft Programme:

Thursday, 3 November 2022

11:00-11:20    Opening remarks

  • H.E. Ms. Aurora Díaz-Rato Revuelta, Co-Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Social Forum
  • H.E. Ms. Maira Mariela Macdonal Alvarez, Co-Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Social Forum
  • H.E. Mr. Andranik Hovhannisyan, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council
  • Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

11:20-12:00    Keynote panel:

  • Mrs. Inés María Chapman Waugh, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba and former President of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources
  • Mr. Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands & Mr. Sulton Rahimzoda, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, Co-Chair of the Dushanbe Water Process, and Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan to the Water and Climate Coalition Leaders
  • Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
  • Mr. Freddy Mamani Machaca, Chair of FILAC's Board of Directors (TBC)
  • Ms. Aminta Permpoonwiwat, 2022 Winner of the Fifth Human Rights Youth Challenge on the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation

12:00- 13:00   General discussion

13:00-15:00    Lunch break / Side events

15:00-16:00    Water for Health: Access to safe drinking water, hygiene and sanitation

  • Moderator: Ms. Klentiana Mahmutaj, Member of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development
  • Mr. Michael Windfur, Vice-Chair, Committee on the Convention for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • Ms. Natasha Dokovska, Journalists for Human Rights, North Macedonia
  • Ms. Marcela Olivera, Inter-American citizens' network on water justice - Red VIDA, Bolivia
  • Ms. Fatou Diouf Seye, Project Coordinator in Africa for Public Services International and founder of the Water Justice Network in Senegal

Interactive dialogue

16:00-17:00    Water for Development: Valuing water, water-energy-food nexus and sustainable economic and urban development

  • Moderator: Mr. Olivier de Schutter, Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and  Human Rights
  • Ms. Morgane Ody, La Via Campesina / Confédération paysanne in France
  • Mr. Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, Food and Agriculture Organization
  • Ms. Miriam Planas,  Aigua es Vida, Tarrasa (Spain) and Engineers without borders
  • Ms. Sofía Monsalve, Secretary-General, FIAN International (TBC)

Interactive dialogue

Friday, 4 November 2022

11:00-12:00    Water for Climate, Resilience and Environment

  • Moderator: Mr. Johannes Cullmann, Director, World Meteorogical Oragnization and Special Advisor on Sustainable Development, Office of the President of the General Assembly
  • Mr. David R. Boyd, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment
  • Ms. Seangrawee Suweerakan, Network of Indigenous Women in Asia
  • Mr. Darío Mejía , Chair UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
  • Ms. Isabel Apawo Phiri, Deputy General Secretary, Public Witness and Diakonia, World Council of Churches, Geneva

Interactive dialogue

12.00-13:00     Water for peace and cooperation

Moderator: Dr. Mara Tignino, Lead international water law specialist, Geneva Water Hub

  • Ms. Oumayma Bouachiri, Associative Activist and Project Coordinator at Nomad08, Tunisia
  • Mr. Suna Dinesh, Programme Executive / Coordinator, Ecumenical Water Network, World Council of Churches, Geneva
  • Mr. Luis Fernando Rosales, Coordinator, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Programme, South Centre
  • Mr. Mihir Kanade, Head, Department of International Law and Director, Human Rights Centre, University for Peace and Chair, Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development

Interactive dialogue

13:00-15:00    Lunch break / Side events

15:00-16:00    Governance and participation

  • Moderator: Mr. Leo Heller, Former Special Rapporteur on the rights to water and sanitation
  • Ms. Erina Watene-Rawiri, River Authority; New Zealand Biological Heritage Science Challenge, Chief Scientist - Māori
  • Mr. Pedro Abel Castañeda, Presidente Red Acueductos de Tasco / Acueductos Comunitarios de Colombia
  • Mr. Bernard van Nuffel, President of VIVAQUA (Brussels' water operator) and President of Aqua Publica Europea 
  • H.E. Mr. Carl-Hermann Gustav Schlettwein, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform of the Republic of Namibia (TBC)

Interactive dialogue

16:00-16:50    Partnerships and commitments for action

  • Moderator: Ms. Liliana Valiña, Member of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development
  • Ms. Anne Le Strat, former Deputy Mayor of Paris and founder of Eaux de Paris, coordinating GWOPA with UN Habitat.
  • Mr. Neil Dhot, Executive Director, AquaFed (The International Federation of Private Water Operators)
  • Mr. David Boys, Deputy General Secretary, Public Services International,
  • Vice-Chair, UN-Water (TBC)

Interactive dialogue

16:50 – 17:00      Closing of the Social Forum

  • H.E. Ms. Maira Mariela Macdonal Alvarez, Co-Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Social Forum
  • H.E. Ms. Aurora Díaz-Rato Revuelta, Co-Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Social Forum