In March 2023, the world joined together during the UN 2023 Water Conference convened by the UN General Assembly. The parameters of the outcomes of this United Nations conference on water are described in General Assembly resolution 75/212.
The conference called for commitments, pledges and actions from across the water and sanitation sector to help deliver on the water actions in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These commitments are compiled in the Water Action Agenda towards achieving the SDG6 and other related goals and targets.
GWOPA presented identified challenges and structural barriers, highlighted groups most at risk of being left behind, and proposed a set of policy recommendations per SDGs. The GWOPA pledge aims to “Localizing SDG 6- Transforming Access to Water by Strengthened Capacity of Operators Closest to Water Provision”
The initiative pledges to accelerate the approach of GWOPA to engage at least 100 public water and sanitation service providers across the globe to sign up for a set of criteria for peer exchange and support. “Scaling up public service providers by partnerships through the established successful WOPs and SWOPs system. With this focus on capacity development and institutional anchoring, the benefits will be multiplied over time by leveraging finance for investments, which often benefit from spin-offs from these partnerships. There will be ripple effects, whereby benefiting utilities go on to support more peers through further partnerships.
With the pledge, GWOPA raises the profile of water operators as a key actor in localizing the SDGs, elevating the global recognition of basic service providers in achieving the SDGs.
GWOPA pledge targeting specifically SDG 5, 6, 11, 17
SDG 5.5 - to focus on gender mainstreaming in water and sanitation utilities and WOPs as an integral component of the methodology, water operators can only improve their performance and achieve SDG6 if they include the gender perspective both on the user side and within their organizational structure.
SDG 6 - to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
SDG 11.1 - to ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums. These basic services include at its centres on improved water and sanitation services to help end poverty by reducing costs to the poor and improving livelihoods.
SDG 17 - the WOPs method of peer-to-peer support mechanism contributes to a practical understanding of solidarity-based partnerships.