Panel Discussion on “Water in Armed Conflicts”

Mar 22, 2019 | Geneva Water Hub, International Peace Institute, and UNICEF
New York, NY

Armed conflicts affect access to safe water in several ways: destruction of and damage to water facilities, attacks against power plants providing energy to water supply networks, and the collapse of water treatment plants and sewage systems are some of the examples. Water supply systems fail, supply lines are deliberately sabotaged or water resources are poisoned to intimidate civilians. It takes months to repair and restore essential service infrastructure once it has been damaged. In the meantime, civilians are displaced, agricultural activities are brought to a halt, and epidemics can spread. Various organisations are increasingly bringing into the spotlight the severe consequences of armed conflicts on access to water for the civilian population.

The protection of water infrastructure in armed conflicts is governed by an elaborate set of rules, although these are contained in different branches of law, in particular international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international environmental law and international water law. Although a solid legal framework on water infrastructure exists, its implementation needs to be strengthened. The Geneva Water Hub, hosted at the University of Geneva and acting as the Secretariat of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace, has taken the initiative, with other academic partners (including the American University of Beirut, Duke University, and University of New Hampshire) and international and non-governmental organisations (such as UNICEF, UN Environment) to draw a list of principles protecting water infrastructure. This list of principles, in an extensive but non-exhaustive manner, systematizes the law applicable to the protection of water infrastructure and sets forth practices relating to this protection before, during and after armed conflicts.

A parallel line of action is the initiative undertaken by UNICEF to generate national and international political support for upholding international humanitarian law to end attacks against water infrastructure. For children and families trying to survive in conflict affected contexts, access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, is, simply, a matter of survival. For all human beings, especially children, the right to safe water and sanitation is also critical to realising other rights such as health, education and nutrition. In this direction, UNICEF aims at, among others, ensuring the protection of water and sanitation infrastructure against attacks and neglect and its personnel against attacks and increasing the capacity of humanitarian WASH sector.

The Panel discussion on “Water in Armed Conflicts” will gather experts from key organisations to present and discuss lines of action and strategies to stimulate international cooperation to overcome the obstacles posed by armed conflicts to access to water.

Where: International Peace Institute, New York, NY

When: 22 March 2019

Organizers: Geneva Water Hub, International Peace Institute, and UNICEF