The U.S. Water Partnership and Atlantic Council Elevate Water as a National Priority
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 23, 2016 /3BL Media/ - Leaders from around the world gathered yesterday at the Global Water Security Summit to encourage the U.S. to elevate water as a national priority. Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, Vice Chair of the U.S. Water Partnership’s National Executive Committee, announced the launch of a U.S.-Global Water Security Grand Strategy, led by the Atlantic Council and the U.S. Water Partnership. The strategy will articulate a “whole of America” approach to improving coordination and cooperation among the broader U.S. water sector to address pressing global water challenges and will be available by December 2016.
The Global Water Security Summit was attended by more than 200 distinguished leaders from the public and private sectors, including co-hosts Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Atlantic Council and Global Water Challenge and sponsors McWane, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company and the World Bank Water and Sanitation Program.
“We must develop a comprehensive national water security strategy. It must be a forward-looking, detailed data-driven blueprint laying out the economic, political, commercial, and innovation lines of effort required to achieve long-term resource sufficiency at home and globally,” said General James Jones, former National Security Advisor to President Obama, when issuing a call-to-action at the event.
“This is a critical first step to engage American and global stakeholders to provide their best thinking to develop a shared roadmap for water security both in America and around the world. The U.S. Water Partnership and Atlantic Council are pleased to bring together a very impressive group of leaders and experts to galvanize the water community toward a collective call-to-action,” said Ambassador Dobriansky.
High-level speakers shared their diverse perspectives focused on global water security trends, innovative water solutions, sustainability, water infrastructure financing and more. Speakers at the Summit included the following:
- The Honorable Gayle E. Smith, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development;
- Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST);
- The Honorable Danilo Türk, Former President of the Republic of Slovenia and Chairman, UN Global High Level Panel on Water and Peace;
- The Honorable Peter MacKay, Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of National Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada;
- Alexandra Cousteau, Explorer and President, Blue Legacy International;
- General James L. Jones, Jr., Former National Security Advisor to President Obama; and,
- General Gordon Sullivan, President, Association of the United States Army.
Other speakers at the Summit included representatives from Global Water Challenge, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, DC Water, Madagascar’s Minister of Environment, the government of the Netherlands, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Water Alliance.
The link to a summary of the Water Security Grand Strategy Assessment is available here.
General Jones’ complete remarks are available here.
About the U.S. Water Partnership
Announced in March 2012, the U.S. Water Partnership (USWP)’s mission is to unite and mobilize the best of U.S. expertise, resources and ingenuity to address global water challenges where needs are greatest. With a membership of 112 partners from the private sector, U.S. Government and civil society, the USWP is a unique catalytic platform that facilitates public-private sector collaboration and engagement with top water sector experts and leaders. The USWP serves as a single entry point for access to the best of U.S.-based resources and ingenuity that help others develop innovative solutions to global water security challenges. Since its inception, the USWP has leveraged the work of its partners to impact millions of people in more than 150 countries. For more information, please visit uswaterpartnership.org and follow on Twitter @USWP.
About Atlantic Council
The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic Community's central role in meeting global challenges. The Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century by informing and galvanizing its uniquely influential network of global leaders. “Through the papers we write, the ideas we generate, and the communities we build,” the Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more secure and prosperous world.
CONTACTS:
Chuck Chaitovitz
The U.S. Water Partnership
Chuck.chaitovitz@uswaterpartnership.org
Diya Li
Atlantic Council
dli@atlanticcouncil.org
