MINSK, 1 November (BelTA) – Belarus is among the top 20 countries with best access to clean water. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) unveiled the relevant data at the international workshop Protocol on Water and Health: Equal Access to Water and Sanitation, Actualizing Targets for Belarus, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry.
The Protocol on Water and Health is an addition to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes of the UN Economic Commission for Europe. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasized the importance of the protocol, as ensuring adequate water supplies, sustainable use of water resources, and adequate sanitation for everyone is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The workshop took stock of the tangible results in achieving the SDGs related to water supplies, hygiene, and health. According to the UNDP data, Belarus has made it to the top 20 countries in terms of access to clean water (based on reports under the protocol). International experts noted that in recent years Belarus has been one of the leading countries in promoting the protocol at the international level and implementing it at the national level.
The fifth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health will take place on 19-21 November in Belgrade, Serbia. Participants of the session are expected to elect Belarus chairman of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol for 2020-2022. Belarus' chairmanship will help promote the country's positive image, raise awareness about international tendencies in water supplies, and attract more investment from international environmental and other funds under the aegis of the protocol.
Belarus joined the protocol on 21 July 2009 in line with the president's Decree No.159 of 31 March 2009. The Health Ministry and the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry are responsible for fulfilling Belarus' commitments under the protocol. The Protocol on Water and Health was ratified by 35 countries, including Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, and Poland.
