The third Meeting of the Parties of the Protocol (MoP-3) on Water and Health was conducted in Oslo, November 25–27, 2013. Approximately 100 participants attended the Meeting: representatives of Parties and Non-Parties of the Protocol, international organizations and NGOs, donors and representatives of science, youth organizations and other stakeholders.

It should be mentioned, that discussion of ensuring of equitable access to water and sanitation in the Pan-European region was dedicated as a special topic among all other traditional issues of the MoP-3 Agenda, including the item of the Protocol ratification status, discussion of progress of the Protocol implementation, execution of the Working Program for the previous period. The representatives of the Parties, international organizations and NGOs took part at the Special Session of that issue. NGOs, working in the region on the water issues, have prepared the Statement on equitable access to water and sanitation, which was presented during the Panel in the framework of Special Session by representative of UNENGO MAMA-86 Anna Tsvietkova. The participants of the Session supported targeted work to find ways of ensuring of right to water and sanitation for all in Europe and to take into due account the right oriented approach in POST 2015 SDG on water. The NGO Statement on equitable access to water and sanitation is available here:

• NGO Statement on equitable access to water and sanitation

The MoP-3 approved several decisions and new Work Program for 2014–2016. The discussion of the Working Program was unusually active; furthermore, the participants of the Meeting from different organizations expressed their willingness and readiness to collaborate and to take responsibility for the fundraising or co-financing for implementation of concrete measures of that Program.

The Working Program 2014–2016 will focus on prolonged advocacy of health and wellness of population by decreasing and prevention of diseases connected to water, on increasing of efficiency of water and health sector management, to set targets and measures to achieve these targets. The work on the small scale water supply and sanitation, as well as ensuring of equitable access will be prolonged. Assistance to the countries and work of the Compliance Committee will be continued. The new working direction on Safety and efficiency of Water Supply and Sanitation Management was established.

The members of the Bureau and Compliance Committee were elected.  

The Chair and 2 Co-Chairs of the Meeting of the Parties were elected at the Meeting. The Chair is Mr. Mr. Pierre Studer, Switzerland, Co-Chairs: Mrs. Marta Vargha, Hungary, and Mr. Kjetil Tveitan, Norwey.

Presentations, statements of participants and documents of the Meeting are here: http://www.unece.org/env/water/3rd_mop_protocol_water_and_health_2013.html