Since the UN 2023 Water Conference, which was the first such event in nearly half a century, the inaugural UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation has been launched and the first UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water has been appointed.
FSWP POSITION
Pollution travels from land to sea: 80% of plastic pollution in oceans originates on land.
Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of waste as defined by the Basel Convention is one of the most effective and sustainable solutions to reduce river and marine pollution. It protects water quality in hydrographic basins, as a core component of the “source to sea” approach.
The implementation of such management systems is complex, requiring the control of waste collection, treatment, and disposal in ways that protects both human health and the environment. The local waste systems are preventing macro-waste from entering water streams or blocking urban drainage systems, as well as controlling leachate to prevent groundwater pollution.
We demand
... That waste management be recognized as a key element:
- to protect water quality and resources, rivers, seas and oceans. We call for it to be recognized in the final statement concluding the UN Water Conference2026.
- to drive the negotiations for the upcoming Global Treaty to eliminate plastic pollution, and those under the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
Discover the FSWP’s statement ahead of the UN Water Conferen below :
