Topic:
Country: France
Delegate Name: Alejandro Alvarez
Country: France
Delegate Name: Alejandro Alvarez
Committee: UNDP
Topic: Access to Water and Sanitation
School: Kalamazoo Central Highschool
As Covid-19 rampages throughout the globe, it is important to remember that lack of clean water and sanitation is one of the main ways for disease to spread throughout the modern and undeveloped world. Additionally, the lack of clean water and an improper system of sanitation is linked to many health complications that further damage disadvantaged populations. Out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set up by the United Nations, SDG 6 seeks to improve access to water and sanitation, reduce pollution, improve the efficiency of water use, and manage water related ecosystems. France supports the development and progress being done towards achieving SDG 6 by 2030 in order to ensure sustainable access to water and sanitation around the world.
In the past, France has adopted three major water regulation laws in order to bring clean water to its constituents. The first major one, being the Water Act of 1964, established the legal framework necessary for regulating the pollution of water resources resulting in the creation of 6 water agencies to manage water pollution in different regions of France. These agencies would subsequently be reformed by the water acts of 1992 and 2006. The impact of these water acts has been profound as over 99% of France’s population has access to a safely managed drinking water service and 79% of the populace uses a safely managed sanitation service according to the UN Water Global Analysis. Even though this data is satisfactory in comparison to the rest of the world, France mustn’t stop passing laws and regulations until proper water and sanitation is accessible to all as established in SDG6 by the UN.
France recognizes that access to clean water and sanitation is a human right that must be upheld to ensure the wellbeing of its citizens. In order to meet the goals set by SDG6, France proposes pushing to establish more policies relating to sanitation so the other 21% of the population in France and other countries have access to a proper system of sanitation and clean water. This would include more funding for infrastructure to revise and expand national and local sewage systems so they’re more efficient and poorer populations can access them at no extra cost, especially in developing countries. France would like to find allies with the countries of the EU and the UK as their close proximity and past involvement with France would allow for better coordination as the UN tries to bring access to clean water and sanitation to countries around the world.
