Youth Declaration of 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation

Declaration of the Youth participants of the launching of the 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation.

Pavillon de l'eau, Paris, France, 11 February 2013

- Preamble -

1. We, the youth participating in the launching of the 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation, having met in Paris, France on 11 February 2013, are working together for the protection, restoration and better management of natural resources, particularly freshwater, a vital resource which is becoming increasingly scarce and polluted every day.

2. We affirm our commitment to cooperate and to find solutions to the challenges that are threatening the livelihoods of millions of people around the world, with emphasis on unequal access to water and sanitation, its linkages with climate change and a more equitable water governance, including aspects related to gender equality.

3. We affirm to work with honesty, transparency, with and for our communities, to join forces and share capacities; to be fair between human needs and natural resources, and, to act in good faith.

4. We also affirm our commitment to cooperate and contribute to our governments’ efforts in achieving “The Future We Want”, as well as in the implementation of other water-related international agreements, the 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation, the International Decade for Action: Water for Life”, the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, and the 2012 Declaration of the World Youth Parliament for Water.

- Our Concerns -

5. First, we recognize that the lack of strategic infrastructure and increase of pollution by human activities, including deforestation, industrial production, unsustainable consumption and uncontrolled waste, affects the quality and quantity of freshwater. These problems have a daily impact on millions of people, and if not addressed will seriously compromise the livelihoods of future generations.

6. Second, we are concerned about the insufficient knowledge and capacities at all levels regarding the causes and consequences of global changes including climate change, natural disasters, migration of populations, ocean acidification, desertification and rapid depletion of potable water resources.

7. Third, we acknowledge that enhanced cooperation, good governance and stakeholders’ participation at local, national, international and basin levels are essential for fair, and inclusive water distribution based on the local circumstances. We also highlight the role of parliaments in generating inclusive participation in cooperation with governments, civil society actors, water and sanitation experts, indigenous people, women, youth, and children, because we can altogether achieve great things with relatively small efforts.

8. Fourth, creating a more cooperative environment for the management of transboundary waters is still a huge concern for many countries. The challenge remains to put institutional development and cooperative thinking into practice through the development and implementation of sustainable projects that bring shared benefits to all partners, including future generations.

- Guidelines-

9. Solutions to water challenges must consider the particular needs and conditions within each water basin. To overcome water challenges, solidarity and cooperation must be stimulated among different actors, including leaders and youth to achieve a lasting impact. In a world facing food and water scarcity we believe that it has become crucial to reuse water and recover the nutrients for other uses such as agriculture.
Together we must endeavour to solve all the environmental problems afore mentioned;

10. We, the youth, strongly support initiatives including education and research, that foster cooperation and sustainable development in transboundary waters, all over the world.

11. We understand that to achieve universal access to water and sanitation, it is essential to promote and increase cooperation among different actors, including youth, to improve and exchange local knowledge, information, experiences, and innovation at all levels for access for all.

12. Achieving good water governance must be a guiding principle in all initiatives. We define water governance as a set of rules and actions taken to manage water resources. Consequently, good water governance is a set of actions that efficiently distributes the benefits of water resources between society, the economy and the environment. This is a central aim of sustainable development.

13. The proposed solutions must be promoted by world youth at local, regional, national and international levels in order to facilitate the installation of information. This information must address global changes in partnership with different actors at all levels for better results thanks to an efficient collaboration.

14. The government and civil society actors must create adequate mechanisms to increase stakeholders’ participation at all levels of society, including youth, in order to promote ownership of the initiatives at the local level.

15. In following the positions expressed above, as representatives of world youth, we accept the responsibility to take concrete actions according to the need and reality of our specific water resources, for water being accessible.