Mrs. Diana Iskreva was invited to take part in the 7th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health in Budapest, Hungary, from 5 to 7 November 2025. The event was organized and hosted by Hungary, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe).

Former and current members of WfWP have played a visible role in the launching and the implementation of the Protocol during the years: Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (Armenia), Earth Forever (Bulgaria), Journalists for Human Health (N. Macedonia), Mama-86 (Ukraine), and Women Engaged for a Common Future (Germany). Mrs. Sacha Gabizon – Executive Director of WECF, the 1st Treasurer of WfWP, moderated the High-level Segment of the MOP. Mrs. Diana Iskreva – President of WfWP, made a statement from the floor during the High-level Segment and took part in two panels. Mrs. Natasha Dokovska – President of JHR, participated as a panelist. 

Resilient water and sanitation systems for a safer and healthier future

Thank you, Chair,

Distinguished delegates, colleagues, and friends,

On behalf of the Women for Water Partnership, a global network of women’s civil society organizations active in over 100 countries, I would like to warmly congratulate all Parties and partners on the 20th anniversary of the Protocol on Water and Health. This Protocol has stood as a unique and powerful bridge between human rights, health, and water management — and as a symbol of the kind of cooperation we need more than ever.

We are proud that our founding member organizations – Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (Armenia), Journalists for Human Rights (N. Macedonia), Mama-86 (Ukraine), and Earth Forever (Bulgaria), had been actively engaged in the Protocol’s processes during the years — contributing to monitoring, national target-setting, and implementation of the Equitable Access Score-card, as well as acting as members of Compliance Committee and working groups. Our experience shows that when civil society, and especially women’s organizations, are meaningfully involved, outcomes are more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable.

As we celebrate these two decades of progress, we also look beyond Agenda 2030 — and call for a stronger role for NGOs and community actors within the Protocol’s bodies, mechanisms, and initiatives. This may include, but should not be limited to:

• Broader civil society participation in the Equitable Access Score-card assessments, and similar tools, ensuring that gender equality, affordability, and marginalized voices are integral to implementation;
• Expanded training and capacity-building opportunities, such as those under the Water Safety Plans, open to NGOs and grassroots leaders who are crucial bridges between policy and practice;
• Structured mechanisms for NGO engagement in follow-up and review of national targets, so that accountability is shared and progress is owned collectively.
• Supporting civil society efforts to mobilise their governments to become not only members, but active members of the Protocol.
• Last but not least, expanded opportunities to involve civil society representatives in the Protocol bodies, while strengthening their gender balance.

The Women for Water Partnership stands ready to contribute our experience, networks, and tools to these efforts. We encourage Parties and partners to institutionalize NGO participation in future work programmes of the Protocol — not as an add-on, but as a strategic resource.

As we look ahead, let us reaffirm that achieving the human rights to water and sanitation — and realizing the Protocol’s promise — depends on inclusive governance, shared learning, and co-creation with those who live the realities of water and health every day.

Thank you.

Diana Iskreva-Idigo

President

Women for Water Partnership

The 2026 United Nations Water Conference: vision and outcomes

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, and friends,

It is an honor to speak on behalf of the Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) — a global alliance of 28 women’s civil society organizations working in more than 100 countries and reaching more than 2 million women water professionals, activists, and enthusiasts in the field to ensure that every person has sustainable access to safe water and sanitation.

As we look ahead to the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, it is clear that this will be a pivotal moment to advance the commitments made in 2023 and to strengthen the linkages between the Water Action Agenda, the SDGs, and the Protocol on Water and Health. As we enter the final 5 years of the 2030 Agenda, the world must surge investment, innovation, political will, and a spirit of solidarity, striving to see SDG 6 implemented to its best.

At the heart of this vision lies one principle: water for people means water with people — and this includes women and civil society in all their diversity, so that no one would be left behind.

All Interactive Dialogues are of significant importance for civil society and women’s organizations striving for the implementation of SDG 6 and related goals, as citizens are influenced and have to be involved in all major mechanisms. We – citizens, care and strive for our water, our prosperity, our planet, and cooperation. We understand the tremendous importance of water for sustainable development, food security, and in multilateral processes. We understand the needs of investment in the water sector as well as for better health care, education, social issues, development, etc. 

For WfWP as women, in all our roles as water professionals, but also as daughters, mothers, housewives, our top priority remains focused on

Interactive Dialogue 1: Water for people: the human rights to water and sanitation, including for those in vulnerable situations, for healthy societies and economies,

and, of course,

Interactive dialogue 6: Investments for water: financing, technology and innovation, and capacity-building.

The best intentions remain in the wish list only until adequate funding turns them into real achievements, changing for the better the lives of people and communities. 

From WfWP point of view, the key challenges that hinder progress in the area of human rights to water and sanitation, including for those in vulnerable situations, for healthy societies and economies that should be prioritized for discussions during the 2026 UN Water Conference include persistent gender and social inequalities in water access; data gaps and weak disaggregation hamper visibility of women’s issues; when resources are scarce, women-focused or gender-responsive initiatives may be 

undervalued, and women-led initiatives underfunded; often “mobilize women” overloads them without complementary support.

WfWP empowers women-led water initiatives, strengthens local governance, promotes gender-responsive policies, requires quotas or affirmative measures for women’s participation in water boards, basin councils, and local committees; incentivizes gender-responsive tech; proposes dedicated gender-responsive financing windows; ensures project appraisal includes gender risk and benefits.

Women and local communities are often the first to experience the impacts of water scarcity and poor WASH services, and the first to innovate local solutions.

Our Women for Water Leadership Program empowers women to lead local water projects, partnering with governments, NGOs, and communities. Evidence shows increased access to safe water, stronger local governance, and scalable, gender-inclusive solutions through training, advocacy, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, and strong involvement of women water professionals and women NGOs, and activists.

Civil society organizations bring experience, social accountability, and innovation that complement government efforts.

The 2026 Conference should therefore institutionalize community participation mechanisms — including gender-responsive monitoring, local women’s leadership in service delivery, and equitable access tools such as the Equitable Access Score-card and Water Safety Plans, with strong involvement of the citizen women’s organizations, under the Protocol on Water and Health. For WfWP the keyword that captures our perspective toward the implementation of Interactive Dialogue Water for People is Equity.

WfWP members demand that by 2030, governments and donors must prioritize and fund women-led, community-driven water governance, ensuring marginalized groups have decision-making power. This transformative action strengthens accountability, climate resilience, and equitable access, accelerating SDG 6 and human rights to water and sanitation.

For many years, WfWP has lobbied for a UN Water year targeted on women – our needs and expectations, our recognition and involvement, and though it was not really officially announced, 2026 is the year of water for women.

As we prepare for the 2026 UN Water Conference, and as water for women remains a cross-cutting issue for all Interactive Dialogues, Women for Water Partnership calls for:

• Institutionalized participation of civil society and women’s organizations in all stages of the Conference process — from design to implementation and follow-up;
• A gender-transformative approach to water governance, ensuring that women are recognized not only as beneficiaries but as leaders and partners;
• Stronger linkages between the Protocol on Water and Health and the global water agenda, using practical tools like the Equitable Access Score-card and the Action Plan for Water and Sanitation to localize outcomes.

WfWP stands ready to contribute by supporting Interactive Dialogues coordinators in:

• Bringing community voices to the table,
• and
• Mobilizing networks for collective action and accountability toward universal access to water, sanitation, and health.

Because water for people is not just about service delivery — it is about justice, dignity, and shared responsibility.

Thank you.

Diana Iskreva-Idigo

President

Women for Water Partnership

Equitable access to water and sanitation: Translating the human rights to water and sanitation into practice

Distinguished delegates,

Dear colleagues,

In 2018, Bulgaria conducted its self-assessment of equitable access to water and sanitation under the Protocol on Water and Health. Among other major findings, this exercise provided a valuable baseline, highlighting disparities between urban and rural areas — particularly in the quality and continuity of water services, and the availability of safe and affordable sanitation.

Since then, Bulgaria has undertaken a series of targeted policy, regulatory, and investment measures to reduce these gaps.

The country has advanced institutional reform and regional consolidation of water and sanitation service provision, aiming to achieve economies of scale and improve service quality across entire catchment areas — not just in cities.

There has been significant investment in wastewater infrastructure in rural and smaller settlements. Supported by European Union Cohesion Policy funds and national co-financing, Bulgaria has prioritized the extension of sewerage networks and the construction or upgrading of wastewater treatment plants in settlements of over 2,000 population equivalent.

The updated National Strategy for Water Supply and Sewerage Services (2023–2038) sets clear targets for equitable access, service reliability, and affordability. Monitoring frameworks now include indicators that disaggregate data by region and settlement type, providing a clearer picture of progress in rural and underserved areas.

At the same time, while  the government formally declares in favor of affordability and social inclusionand talks about the introduction of a new tariff regulation framework ensuring service prices remain economically justified yet socially acceptable, the Parliament recently voted in a new flat “water meter” tax – an unjustified monthly lump payment adding to constantly rising prices compromising the affordability of the WASH services, especially for rural and marginalized communities.

It is fair to admit that rural areas continue to face notable challenges compared to urban ones.Approximately one quarter of the rural population relies on small or local water supply systems that face technical limitations, higher leakage rates, and insufficient treatment capacity. Sanitation coverage is also much lower. The regulation, strongly influenced by lobbyists’ interests, forbids any decentralized sewerless and waterless technologies that would best serve rural areas characterized by lower population density and really high per-capita cost for centralized infrastructure in predominantly mountainous relief (75%).

The drought events in summer accentuate vividly the disparities between urban and rural communities. Many small water supply systems depend on a single water source, which is highly sensitive to seasonal variability, leading to restrictions, reduced pressure, or temporary water rationing; this might even call for emergency water deliveries by tankers. In the summer of 2025, more than 10% of the villages, against only few towns suffered intermittent water supply. The 7^th largest city remained practically without water supply in July and August. Civil society protests lead to disclosure for more than 80% leakage after the operator successfully finalized a major infrastructural project in 2021 for 90 mln. EUR and since the beginning of 2025 has started the implementation of a new infrastructural for 60 mln. EUR , adding new 20 mln. EUR to its budget in the autumn of 2025.

Joined the EU in 2007, Bulgaria continues facing major challenges to meet the requirements of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directives and is under penalty procedures for both larger and smaller agglomerations. The EC has formally determined that the country failed to adequately collect and treat urban wastewater in many agglomerations with more than 10 000 p.e. In 2024, the Commission referred Bulgaria to the Court of Justice of the EU for failure to fully comply with the collection and treatment obligations. The derogation expired in 2010 for the larger agglomerations and in 2015 for the smaller ones. And though the penalty procedure for agglomerations larger than 10 000 p.e. is much advanced, the penalty procedure for smaller agglomerations would be even more catastrophic with the updated Wastewater Directive requirement raising the requirements for agglomerations larger than 1000 p.e.

To conclude, while the findings and identified tendencies from the application of the Equivalent Access Card exercise are valid, there is a need for updates and identifying the new and emerging factors and the best solutions in the changing world and raised societal demands.

Thank you.

Diana Iskreva-Idigo

President

Women for Water Partnership