World Water Day 2013: International Year of Water Cooperation

World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.

Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. In 2013, in reflection of the International Year of Water Cooperation, World Water Day is also dedicated to the theme of cooperation around water and is coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with UNECE and UNDESA on behalf of UN-Water.

World Water Day celebrations and High Level Forum

22 March 2013, The Hague, The Netherlands

Location: World Forum, Churchillplein 10 

The World Water Day celebrations organized by the United Nations and the Government of The Netherlands in The Hague will address both water cooperation and the outcomes from the Thematic Consultation on Water in the post-2015 agenda.The programme of the day involves political and governmental leaders and members of the UN High Level Panel on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, and includes inspirational speeches, presentations and interactive discussions. A series of thematic sessions will also give the opportunity to reflect on the different dimensions of water cooperation, and bring new ideas and innovative approaches from different sectors of society.

Challenges identified on 21 March at the Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on Water organized by the Dutch Government will be incorporated in the thematic sessions.

(Source: UN Water)