The seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health will mark 20 years since the entry into force of the Protocol. This unique international agreement links sustainable water management with the prevention, control and reduction of water-related diseases.
Over 2 decades, the Protocol has played a significant role in expanding access to safely managed water and sanitation services, improving the quality of drinking-water, and advancing hygiene practices. Today, it continues to drive policies and mobilize practical action across the pan-European region towards equitable access to water and sanitation services for all in all settings.
WHO/Europe and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) are jointly organizing the session. It will take place in Budapest at the invitation of the Government of Hungary.
Resilient water and sanitation systems for a safer and healthier future
The high-level segment “Resilient water and sanitation systems for a safer and healthier future” on the first day of the meeting will bring together ministers and other high-level representatives to celebrate and take stock of 20 years of collective pan-European action on water, sanitation, hygiene and health.
This segment will inspire future action by sharing experiences in building sustainable and resilient water, sanitation and hygiene systems and services under a changing climate, and in ensuring the protection and sustainable management of water resources. Its outcomes will inform the preparatory process for the United Nations 2026 Water Conference.
The general segment of the meeting will be dedicated to reviewing progress made since the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties in 2022, and to shaping the future direction of the Protocol. It will focus on the Protocol’s impacts and success stories at country and regional levels. Discussions will revolve around:
- improvements to governance
- enhanced resilience to climate change
- safe management of water supply and sanitation systems and services
- small-scale water supply and sanitation
- prevention and reduction of water-related diseases
- equitable access to water and sanitation
- water, sanitation and hygiene in institutional settings and public places.
The Meeting of the Parties is expected to adopt an ambitious, forward-looking programme of work for the period 2026–2028 and adopt a strategy and system of targets to ensure the Protocol’s financial sustainability.
Protocol on Water and Health
The Protocol on Water and Health is a legal, multilateral instrument jointly supported by WHO/Europe and UNECE, with Hungary currently holding the chair. Since its adoption in 1999 and entry into force in 2005, the work under the Protocol has been instrumental in advancing the water, sanitation, hygiene and health agenda at the regional level and driving progress in countries across the pan-European region towards related global and regional targets. The Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol is held every 3 years.