Summary
The Budapest Water Summit opened on Monday morning at the Millenáris Park conference center, to the rhapsodic strains of Hungarian music and a live sand animation performance by film director Ferenc Cakó, illustrating the vital importance of clean water for communities around the world.
In his opening address, János Áder, President of Hungary, identified water as the most significant issue of the 21st century. UN General Assembly President Peter Thomson, World Bank managing director Joaquim Levy and the heads of state of Bangladesh, Mauritius, and Tajikistan, addressed delegates at the opening, and messages were conveyed from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Archbishop of Constantinople Bartholomew I, and Pope Francis.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius and Co-Chair of the High-Level Panel on Water (HLPW), emphasized small island states’ extreme exposure to the impacts of climate change, and announced that the HLPW is currently taking stock of financing mechanisms for the water sector. Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan, stressed the importance of water for agriculture and energy production for development. Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, outlined the HLPW’s priorities, including: building resilience to disasters; ensuring equitable water distribution; and developing resilient crop varieties and agricultural technologies.
In the morning and afternoon, a series of panels convened. The opening panel of speakers discussed how water connects the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The following sessions featured speakers and high-level panelists who discussed ways to provide safe and affordable drinking water, and to improve sanitation and hygiene.
In the evening, delegates attended a concert and reception at the Palace of the Arts.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports and a summary report from BWS 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu
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Inauguration Session
János Áder, President of Hungary
Peter Thomson, President, United Nations General Assembly
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius and HLPW Co-Chair
Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan
Video message by Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
Video message from His All Holiness, Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople
Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Peter Thomson, President, United Nations General Assembly and János Áder, President of Hungary
Peter Thomson, President, United Nations General Assembly
János Áder, President of Hungary
Opening PanelWater connects the SDGs
(L-R) Johan Kuylenstierna, Executive Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden; Pavel Kabat, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis; Heiner Markhoff, President and Chief Executive Officer, GE Power & Water’s Water & Process Technologies; Joachim von Amsberg, Vice-President, Policy and Strategy, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; Tegegnework Gettu, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Associate Administrator; Han Seung-soo, Former Prime Minister, Republic of Korea; and Danilo Türk, Former President of the Republic of Slovenia and Chair of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace
Tegegnework Gettu, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Associate Administrator
Han Seung-soo, Former Prime Minister, Republic of Korea; and Danilo Türk, Former President of the Republic of Slovenia and Chair of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace
Heiner Markhoff, President and Chief Executive Officer, GE Power & Water’s Water & Process Technologies
Joachim von Amsberg, Vice-President, Policy and Strategy, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Session 1How to provide safe and affordable drinking water
(L-R) Bai Mass Taal, Former Executive Secretary, the African Ministers’ Council on Water; Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, the Netherlands; Gérard Payen, Former Adviser, United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water & Sanitation; Themba Gumbo, Director, Cap-Net, United Nations Development Programme; Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director, Stockholm International Water Institute; and José Carrera, Vice-President of Social Development, Development Bank of Latin America
José Carrera, Vice-President of Social Development, Development Bank of Latin America
Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, the Netherlands
High-level panel discussion 1Do we have enough good water to drink?
(L-R) Bai Mass Taal, Former Executive Secretary, the African Ministers’ Council on Water; Mohamed El Azizi, Director, Water and Sanitation Department and the African Water Facility, African Development Bank; Manuel Sager, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Kenth Hvid Nielsen, Group Vice-President for Global Market Segment Water Utility, Grundfos; Jaana Husu-Kallio, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland; Zsuzsanna Jakab, Regional Director for Europe, World Health Organization; Themba Gumbo, Director, Cap-Net, United Nations Development Programme;
and Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director, Stockholm International Water Institute
Mohamed El Azizi, Director, Water and Sanitation Department and the African Water Facility, African Development Bank
Bai Mass Taal, Former Executive Secretary, the African Ministers’ Council on Water
Jaana Husu-Kallio, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland
Zsuzsanna Jakab, Regional Director for Europe, World Health Organization
Session 2How to improve sanitation and hygiene
Sanjay Wijesekera, Chief of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, Programme Division, UNICEF
Pierre Victoria, Vice-President of Sustainable Development, Veolia
High-level panel discussion 2Do we have water solutions for improved public health and hygiene?
(L-R) Jack Moss, Executive Director, Aquafed; Anders Berntell, Executive Director, 2030 Water Resources Group / International Finance Corporation; Sue Goeransson, Director, Municipal and Environmental Infrastructure Team, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Joakim Harlin, Vice-Chair, UN-Water; Alix Lerebours, Board Member, Water Youth Network; Lesha Witmer, Women for Water Partnership; Ali Chavoshian,
UNESCO Regional Centre on Urban Water Management (RCUWM), International Drought Initiative (IDI); and Miklós Szócska, Director, Health Services Management Training Centre
Joakim Harlin, Vice-Chair, UN-Water
Ali Chavoshian, UNESCO Regional Centre on Urban Water Management (RCUWM), International Drought Initiative (IDI), representing Iran
Alix Lerebours, Board Member, Water Youth Network
Miklós Szócska, Director, Health Services Management Training Centre
Around the Venue
