The document discusses establishing an Arab Coordination Group (ACG)-Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Task Force on Water and Sanitation to promote universal access to safe drinking water. Over 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 4.7 billion lack sanitation access. The Task Force would use a holistic approach and leverage members' complementary strengths to more effectively achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation. The 2019 Arab-DAC Dialogue will discuss approving the Task Force's terms of reference and selecting focus countries in Africa and the Middle East.

1. ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION FOR ALL
Water is essential to human survival and dignity. It is the basis for resilient, peaceful societies and a robust natural
environment. Unlike other natural resources, water has no substitute. To achieve water security for all by 2030,
providers of development co-operation will need to deliver greater partnership models and financing tools. This
calls for collaboration between the Arab Coordination Group (ACG) and the Development Assistance Committee
(DAC) towards achieving the UN Sustainability Development Goal SDG6 on sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all. A number of ACG institutions and Switzerland, with support from the OECD, have already set up
a ACG-DAC Task Force on Water, which proposes a way forward to structure joint work on water and sanitation in
order to achieve greater impact, sustainability and effectiveness through harnessing the members’
complementary strengths.
Key issues for discussion:
 How can the ACG-DAC Task Force on Water and Sanitation best promote universal and equitable access to
safe and affordable drinking water for all (SDG 6) based on a holistic understanding of SDG 6 and its
quantitative and qualitative targets, particularly in water-stressed regions of the Middle East and Africa?
 To what extent do the proposed Terms of Reference for the ACG-DAC Task Force on Water and Sanitation,
and the themes, areas and modalities for co-operation outlined therein, contribute towards achieving
greater impact, sustainability and effectiveness when bringing about SDG 6? Would you agree with the list
of countries selected for intervention?
 What models for partnerships and sustainable finance for water can the ACG-DAC Task Force deploy to
achieve SDG 6 and other water-related SDGs in these countries? What role can be seen for innovative
financing approaches, which also include the private sector (blended finance, public-private partnerships,
impact finance or, inter alia, Islamic finance)?
Possible outcomes:
 Collaborative approaches between the ACG and DAC communities contribute to increased effectiveness
and sustainable impacts of interventions that ensure access to and sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all. Lessons learnt and good practices derived from joint actions can serve as a basis for
replication in the future.
 Content-related discussions reveal meaningful complementary ACG and DAC approaches and help roll-out
joint action towards achieving water-related goals and to strengthening international water co-operation,
while engaging in advocacy efforts at regional and global levels to achieve SDG 6, both quantitatively and
qualitatively.
 Collaboration through the ACG-DAC Task Force on Water and Sanitation advances with the approval of the
draft Terms of Reference of the ACG-DAC Task Force on Water and Sanitation and the selection of a
number of countries for intervention.
THE 2019 ARAB-DAC DIALOGUE ON DEVELOPMENT
14 January 2019, Kuwait City, Kuwait
27 March 2017, Bern, Switzerland

2. Achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to effectively and efficiently tackle the numerous challenges of
the 21st
century. Among the most pressing of these challenges – not least due to the adverse effects of climate
change, increased demands for economic growth and a rapidly growing world population – is sustainable water
resources management. Water security, or lack thereof, has far-reaching consequences globally. According to WHO
and UNICEF in 2017, 2.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 4.7 billion people lack access to
sanitation. As stated in an OECD report (2018), poor sanitation, water and hygiene led to 675,000 premature deaths
and losses of up to 7% of GDP in certain countries in 2015. Water-related losses in agriculture, health, income, and
property may result in a decline by as much as 6% of GDP by 2050 in some regions of the world.1
In fact, according
to the 2015 World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, water crises are among the greatest concerns – water
being ranked as the global risk with the single greatest potential impact on economies – over the next ten years. Of
the 33 countries the World Resources Institute identified as countries that will face extremely high water stress by
2040, 14 are located in the Middle East and 4 in northern Africa.
In recognition of the vital role water plays for mankind’s well-being, sustenance and sustainable development, the
Sustainable Development Goal SDG6 is entirely dedicated to water and sanitation and covers all aspects of the water
cycle, including sustainable management of water, waste water and ecosystem resources. Sustainable water
management will be crucially important for realising the whole 2030 Agenda, as SDG6 is highly interlinked with all
other SDGs, including food security, health, resilient infrastructure, clean energy, climate action and peace.
Moreover, access to potable water and sanitation is not only essential for sustained economic growth but also plays
a significant role in the development of job opportunities, either directly related to water management (e.g.
infrastructure, wastewater treatment) or in water-intensive economic sectors (e.g. agriculture, fishing, energy,
industry, health).
The role of water as an enabler of sustainable development and as a catalyst for peace, was most recently
emphasized by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, when he stated during the Launch of the International
Decade for Action ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ 2018-2028, “without effective management of our water
resources, we risk intensified disputes between communities and sectors and even increased tensions among
nations”. This message is echoed by the High Level Panel on Water and Peace, which recommends a number of
institutional and financing mechanisms to strengthen international water co-operation and harness the potential of
water in peace building.
Expanding collaboration on water and sanitation among Arab and DAC providers through the ACG-DAC
Task Force on Water and Sanitation
Both the Arab Coordination Group (ACG) and the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) are committed to
achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG6 and its quantitative and
qualitative targets. Partnerships for the SDGs and moving towards an integrated, multi-stakeholder approach, that
1 OECD, 2018. ‘Financing Water – Investing in Sustainable Growth’. OECD Environment Policy Paper No. 11. Available at:
http://www.oecd.org/water/Policy-Paper-Financing-Water-Investing-in-Sustainable-Growth.pdf

3. leverages the synergies of all involved, are also at the core of the SDGs, in particular SDG17. Consequently,
collaboration and mutual inspiration are considered the best way forward to achieve the ambitious water-related
targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Expanding collaboration in areas of common interest
among Arab and DAC providers on sustainable management of water and sanitation for all is timely. Doing so
through the Arab-DAC Dialogue, presents an opportunity to use an important platform to exchange ideas, share
good practices, promote mutual learning and implement joint initiatives related to this important development
issue.
The 2017 Arab-DAC Dialogue on Development was followed by an Arab-Swiss Water Day, organised by the Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The Arab-Swiss Water Day aimed at exchanging knowledge,
successful approaches and innovative partnership models towards achieving the water-related targets of the 2030
Agenda in an effective and sustainable way among participating Arab and DAC providers. One of the conclusions of
the Arab-Swiss Water Day was to promote further collaboration on water and sanitation among Arab and DAC
providers. Building on the positive momentum and fruitful discussions of the Arab-Swiss Water Day, an Arab-DAC
Task Force on Water and Sanitation was proposed and subsequently established. For now, the Task Force comprises
Switzerland2
(which leads on behalf of the DAC), the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (as leading
institution among the ACG), the Islamic Development Bank, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Qatar Fund for Development and the Saudi Fund for Development, while the
OECD provides support and facilitates the work of the Task Force.
The Arab-DAC Task Force on Water and Sanitation provides a great opportunity to engage in collaborative action
that contributes to increased effectiveness and sustainable impact of interventions in the field of water and
sanitation. This is done through making use of the holistic approach of Integrated Water Resource Management
(IWRM) and building on the partners’ complementary skills, networks, knowledge and resources.
Participants at the 2019 Arab-DAC Dialogue are:
 Invited to share their comments on the work of the Task Force to date and decide on the approval (or not)
of the draft Terms of Reference of the ACG-DAC Task Force on Water and Sanitation;
 Welcomed to signal interest in joining the Task Force; and
 Requested to decide on the countries where the Task Force will focus, based on a scoping report prepared
by the Task Force and which proposes for joint action to select a country from Sub-Saharan Africa and
another country from the Middle East and North Africa. The report follows criteria put forward in the Terms
of Reference.
2 Water has been a priority of Swiss foreign and development policy for a long time. Switzerland was instrumental in making water a goal of
the UN’s 2030 Agenda. Furthermore, it had a leading role in launching the global Blue Peace Initiative and establishing the Global High-Level
Panel on Water and Peace that developed a set of recommendations on water as an important factor to peace building.