A day after commemorating Human Rights Day in King Williams Town, president Jacob Zuma will officiate at the 2017 United Nations World Water Day hosted in partnership with United Nations World Water Assessment Programme in Durban on Wednesday.
The Department of Water and Sanitation said that the "world will converge in Durban, South Africa at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, to participate and witness celebrations of the 2017 United Nations World Water Day hosted in partnership with United Nations World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), featuring the 2017 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UNWWDR), titled "Wastewater: The Untapped Resource".
It said that World water day is observed annually on 22 March since 1993 under the auspices of the United Nations. The United Nations noted and endorsed this calendar day and month to broaden the global focus on water related issues.
President Zuma in his capacity as the member of the High Level Panel on Water HHLPW, will launch the initiative on "Access to Water and Sanitation for 10 Billion- People", on behalf of the Panel, the Department said.
"The HLPW is convened and co-chaired by the United Nations Secretary General and the President of the World Bank Group, Mr Jim Kim, The President will deliver a Declaratory Statement on behalf of the Panel, outlining Panel Action Plan to the WWDR as will inform the roll out activities."
"Africa is one of the continents with more representation by three Heads of State, South Africa, Mauritius and Senegal, which justifies the support and full participation of the African Ministers Council for Water (AMCOW), to ensure the elevation and influence of the Water narrative in the region in pursuance of the acceleration of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Water and Sanitation," said the Department of Water and Sanitation.
At the end of the World Water Day there will be adoption of outcome document, The Durban Political Declaration with the endorsement by all global participating politicians in support of the work of the Panel.
"It has become so important for the world to unite and work together at this level to mitigate challenges faced by different countries in the provision of enough water resource and safe quality drinking water. These challenges are witnessed in the different regions hence the "Call for Action" in the Transformation and provision of water, Valuing water, Data provision, Partnerships, Improved infrastructure, Financing for Infrastructure Development, Transboundary Management, Policy development, and support for fragile States on water cooperation," the Department said.
