Implementing targets for water-related disease control

Article 6 of the Draft Protocol on Water and Health (1999) to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (1992), states: (3) Within two years of becoming a Party, each Party shall establish and publish targets referred to in paragraph 2 of this article, and target dates for achieving them; (4) Where a long process of implementation is foreseen for the achievement of a target, intermediate or phased targets shall be set.

Article 6(5) continues: In order to promote the achievement of the targets referred to in paragraph 2 of this article, the Parties shall each: (a) Establish national or local arrangements for coordination between their competent authorities; (b) Develop water-management plans in transboundary, national and/or local contexts, preferably on the basis of catchment areas or groundwater aquifers. In doing so, they shall make appropriate practical and/or other provisions for public participation, within a transparent and fair framework, and shall ensure that due account is taken of the outcome of the public participation. Such plans may be incorporated in other relevant plans, programmes or documents which are being drawn up for other purposes, provided that they enable the public to see clearly the proposals for achieving the targets referred to in this article and the respective target dates; (c) Establish and maintain a legal and institutional framework for monitoring and enforcing standards for the quality of drinking water; (d) Establish and maintain arrangements, including, where appropriate, legal and institutional arrangements, for monitoring, promoting the achievement of and, where necessary, enforcing the other standards and levels of performance for which targets referred to in paragraph 2 of this article are set.