The consultations form part of the consultations underway by the UN in preparation for developing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. The 2014 consultations are being held with new funding from the Danish Government. National consultations will take place in 26 countries. Eleven countries participated in the first consultation in 2012. Tanzania being the only country participant in the Southern African region Tanzania, whilst 15 are new (Zambia and Zimbabwe) to this process. The countries have been chosen to get a balance between regions, to build on and extend the earlier dialogues and to involve countries that are members of the UN Open Working Group.
In early 2013, national dialogues were held in 22 countries globally to determine priorities for a future post-2015 development agenda. This work was submitted to the UN Task Team and UN Open Working Group in May as a stakeholder contribution for their consideration in developing the future agenda. It was well received by the UN who is keen to have the perspective from country stakeholders. In the SADC region Mozambique, Tanzania and RSA were selected for these processes (selected by UN Water members).
The results of the 2015 stakeholder consultations will also feed into the global process towards making a firm case for a SDG on Water. The work will also feed into a global GWP programme on the economics of water security.
These national consultations are not an official government process or position inputting officially into the global SDG and post 2015 development process. Rather, these are stakeholder consultations to inform a global SDG on water process through UN Water. As a result of the need to engage a broader number of stakeholders, GWP SA has engaged the GWP SA Country Water Partnerships to work with the lead water Ministry in their countries, and engage a cross-sectoral number of stakeholders to the consultation.
Read on the GWP SA 2013 National Consultations and the synthesis report of the key findings and recommendations from UN Water derived from the numerous world summits, national and regional stakeholder consultations