© Adobe Stock
The UN Water Conference in New York on 22–24 March will mark World Water Day in an extraordinary way this year. The Finnish Environment Institute is closely involved in the Finnish delegation to promote the objectives of the conference and is committed to contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Seminars organized in Finland will also stress water issues on World Water Day on 22 March 2023.
Historic water meeting urges to speed up actions for water
This United Nations (UN) Water Conference is of historic significance, as the latest high-level meeting of this kind took place in 1977. Its main objective is to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will not be achieved under current conditions. Therefore, the conference will not negotiate new resolutions but seeks to ensure that countries keep the promises they have already made to achieve the goals.
The main outcome of the UN Water Conference will be the global Water Action Agenda and voluntary commitments. Commitments are concrete pledges of actions that actors from governments, businesses and NGOs will carry out by 2030. They will contribute to achieving the SDGs and to solving the global water and sanitation crisis.
"The Finnish Environment Institute works with its partners to promote solutions to challenging water crises, corporate water stewardship and the sustainable use of water resources. Finnish water expertise has already been successfully exported around the world and we want to continue to invest in it. The demand for water diplomacy and transboundary cooperation is also growing all the time", says Anna-Stiina Heiskanen, Unit Director of the Finnish Environment Institute.
Finnish Environment Institute commits to promoting sustainable water management and international cooperation
The Finnish Environment Institute Syke is strongly involved in promoting the objectives of the conference and is contributing to the Water Action Agenda.
Syke commits itself as an organisation to promote with determination the SDGs, in particular those related to water. The commitment is based on Syke's strategy and sustainability report. It highlights the strong experience in the water sector, including in Central Asia and Africa, and the long-term work to promote sustainable management of water resources. In addition, Syke contributes to achieving a water secure world by supporting water diplomacy and the implementation of transboundary water agreements. Commitment:
Another commitment of Syke is to a network of experts on water stewardship. This network, led by Syke, is committed to promoting the goal of Finnish companies to become world leaders in water stewardship by 2030 as part of the national implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Commitment:
Promoting water diplomacy is a key priority for Finland. The water diplomacy project, coordinated by Syke and the Finnish Institute of Foreign Affairs, pledges its commitment to finding solutions to the world's water conflicts. Commitment:
Finnish expertise strongly present at the UN meeting
Finnish organisations and experts have been actively involved in the preparations for the conference. Finland is co-organising several side events on water diplomacy, transboundary water cooperation and water stewardship.
In New York, Finland will be represented by a large delegation led by State Secretary Johanna Sumuvuori and consisting of representatives from different ministries, research institutes and universities, as well as the private sector and organisations. Syke is represented in the delegation by four experts: Unit Director Anna-Stiina Heiskanen, Senior Research Scientist Suvi Sojamo, Researcher Sara Todorovic, and Research Professor Cintia Uvo.
Seminars on World Water Day on 22 March
World Water Day will be marked by a number of events, which will also feature the views of several experts from the Finnish Environment Institute on issues such as corporate water stewardship.
- Finnish Freshwater Foundation webinar on 22 March at 9–10.15 (in Finnish). What is water responsibility and how to make Finland a model country for the most water-responsible companies in the world?
- The Water Association Finland's World Water Day seminar on 22 March at 13.00- (in Finnish). The theme is accelerating change to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and, in particular, to solve the global water and sanitation crisis.
Vesi.fi to be updated with water information in English – waterinfo.fi
Finnish Environment Institute will launch waterinfo.fi – the English version of vesi.fi – on World Water Day 22.3. The service will include a wealth of general water information, up-to-date overviews of the water situation and a comprehensive map service on water issues. The service will also help English-speaking users to keep up to date with what is happening in water issues in Finland. A news item on the topic will be published on vesi.fi on World Water Day.
More information
Unit Director Anna-Stiina Heiskanen, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), tel. +358 295 251 162, firstname.lastname@syke.fi
Senior Research Scientist Suvi Sojamo, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), tel. +358 295 251 049, firstname.lastname@syke.fi
Researcher Sara Todorovic, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), tel. +358 295 252 188, firstname.lastname@syke.fi
Research Professor Cintia Uvo, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), tel. +358 295 252 555, firstname.lastname@syke.fi
Links