A Strategic Partnership for Water and Sanitation in Latin America and the Caribbean

Wednesday 20 August
Lunch Side Event

Convenors: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)

Event Summary and Conclusions

The side event on “A Strategic Partnership for Water and Sanitation in Latin America and the Caribbean” was co-convened by UN-HABITAT and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). It was chaired by Bert Diphoorn, Ag Director, Human Settlements Financing Division of UN-HABITAT. The event provided an opportunity to share progress and explore further the modalities for collaboration between UN-HABITAT and the IADB.

Luis Garcia, a regional expert, presented the framework for water and sanitation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Andre Dzikus of UN-HABITAT presented UN-HABITAT’s Strategy for the region.  WSLAC’s strategy for Bolivia and Colombia, activities under the Spanish Millennium Development Fund, and the Water Operators Partnership (WOPs) in Latin America and the Caribbean were also presented at the side event. 

Key recommendations from the side event included:

• The synergy created by the partnership between IADB and UN-HABITAT is a key window of opportunity, which should be promoted and emulated in the water and sanitation sector in the region.

• The development of new financing instruments by the IADB such as line of Credit Water Express for efficient water operators, and the creation of a multi-donor fund dedicated to the water and sanitation sector will improve technical assistance and finance pilot projects and activities related to knowledge dissemination.

• Local-level partnerships established by UN-HABITAT with central and local governments, organisations of civil society and the private sector in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Nicaragua are critical to the replication and upscaling of WSLAC’s activities.

Seminar Programme          12:05-13:25   Room K16/17

Chair: Bert Diphoorn, Chief, Water, Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch, UNHABITAT

12:00	Introductory Remarks by the Chair
12:05	The Water and Sanitation Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Old and Emerging Issues Dr. Luis Garcia, Regional Expert
12:15	Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America & the Caribbean Corinne Cathala, Water and Sanitation Initiative, IDB
12:15	The Water and Sanitation for Cities Programme in Latin America and the Caribbean (Bolivia/Colombia) Andre Dzikus, Chief, Water and Sanitation Section II, UNHABITAT UN-HABITAT’s Strategy for the LAC Region
12:35	Present and Prospective Activities: collaboration IDB - UN-Habitat in Bolivia Dr. Leyla Rojas, Vice-minister of Water and Sanitation, Colombia
12:50	Activities under the Spanish Millennium Development Fund: Mexico and Ecuador UNHABITAT Establishing MDG-effective and democratic water and sanitation management in Mexico to support the achievement of the MDGs
13:10	The WOPs-Latin American and Caribbean Chapter UNHABITAT, IADB, AIDIS
13:20	Discussion
13:30	Closing