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Human Rights Commissioner Kofler on World Water Day

21.03.2019 - Press release

Bärbel Kofler, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement to mark World Water Day on 22 March:

With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the international community commited to an ambitious goal in 2015: by 2030, sustainable management and availability of water and sanitation are to be guaranteed for all. Whether women and children in Bangladesh, indigenous peoples in Brazil or refugees in Burundi, we must leave no one behind when it comes to achieving goal 6 on the human right to water and sanitation.

World Water Day 2019 with the motto “Leaving no one behind” is designed to remind us that access to water and sanitation is one of the keys to social, economic and ecological development. Improving water quality and protecting ecosystems are further important subgoals to achieve the sustainability target for water and sanitation. But that is not enough.

We all need to play our part by using water sparingly and attaching due value to it. The Federal Government is doing what it can here in international forums and through its development cooperation. After all, water is our most valuable resource which we need to treat responsibly to ensure all can benefit from it. This is the only way to combat poverty, support sustainable development and ensure that no one gets left behind.


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