The Prince of Orange as Chair of UN SG Advisory Board Water & Sanitation (2006-2013)

[Henri M.]

His Royal Highness Prince Willem-Alexander, the Prince of Orange,
Patron of the Global Water Partnership;
Chair of the Water Advisory Committee (the Netherlands);
Member of the Panel of Eminent Persons convened at the request of the UNSG to issue recommendations for the CSD in Johannesburg (2002);
Chair of the Second World Water Forum (2000);
Member of the committee that coordinated the formulation of the World Water Vision (1999-2000).

The Prince of Orange has been appointed as the Chairperson of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation on December 12th, 2006.

The post has been vacant since passing away of Mr. Ryutaro Hashimoto, former Prime Minister of Japan, on July 1st, 2006.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange has been playing a prominent role in raising awareness and galvanizing actions in international efforts to improve global water and sanitation situation. He chaired the 2nd World Water Forum in The Hague in March 2000, a pivotal event that helped world’s attention drawn to the need to change “business as usual” on water and sanitation management into a more coherent and integrated approach.

In 2002, the Prince was appointed as Member of the Panel of Eminent Persons convened at the request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to issue recommendations for the UN conference on sustainable development in Johannesburg. The Prince served on the Panel as an expert on water management.

As the Chairperson, His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange will lead the Board comprising a wide range of dignitaries, technical experts, and individuals with proven experience on water and sanitation in order to, among other things, help the UN and international community to achieve Millennium Development Goals on water and sanitation.

[The Watcher]

Source: http://www.unsgab.org

Great opportunity for Willem-Alexander! And an excellent choice of the members of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation

[Marengo]

HRH The Prince of Orange will be chairman of an advisory UN commission about water and sanitation. He was asked to become chairman by UN secretary general Kofi Annan. Because of the advices of this group in 2015 much more people in the world have to have excess to clean water and good sanitation.

Willem-Alexanders predecessor is the former Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto, who died recently. The Prince is now in Tunesia where the group gathers.

According to a (long) article in ' Telegraaf' today this decission will stop rumours about a short-term abdication of HM Queen Beatrix.

[Henri M.]

The Prince of Orange visited the Japanese Court. Correspondent Hans Jacobs wrote an article in the newspaper Nederlands Dagblad.

A translated summary for you:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Willem-Alexander visits 'Imperial Prison'

By Hans Jacobs

TOKYO - The Prince of Orange visited Japan for a conference on water affairs. The Prince also paid a short visit to the Emperor and the Empress and went to his colleagues Crown Prince Naruhito and his spouse Princess Masako.

The difference in life circumstances between the Japanese and the Netherlands crown princely couples could not be bigger. Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima can go and stay where they want. To walk, to ride, go for a shop, to ski, it does not matter. This is only a dream for Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako, whose lives are ruled by the ever omnipresent Kunaicho, the Imperial Household Agency....

[Florencia]

Thank you very much for the article. Very interesting.

[lucien]

Prince Willem-Alexander will attend,and speech,at the annual IDB meeting in Guatemala City this sunday,march 18th.(The Inter-American development Bank)

The Prince,in his capacity,of Chair of the UN SGABWS will urge the participating (47) countries to really make a move towards the UN millennium goals on water and sanitation.

[Verde Esmeralda]

I never thought Masako's situation was so desperating...

[monica]

Thank you very much for the article

[corazon]

Originally Posted by Verde Esmeralda

I never thought Masako's situation was so desperating...

me too, the doctors can be anything for help her?

thanks for the article

[mandyy]

From the official Imperial family website, the crown prince and princess' schedule shows that they had lunch at Togu Palace with Crown Willem-alexander on March 15, 2007.

[ahtikavalentine]

Originally Posted by corazon

me too, the doctors can be anything for help her?

thanks for the article

Well...what they say is that they are doing their best, but princess Masako is very tired, and she's under pressure now, all we know is that prince Naruhito supports her. A little about this Cumple 41 años la princesa Masako :: Internacionales :: esmas

[Empress]

For those members of our forums that do not speak Dutch or Spanish, I have found two english versions of the two articles above. It is obviously not completely the same, but will give you a glimpse of what the two articles are about.

Empress is palace's latest stress victim | The Japan Times Online
Letters page

[lucien]

Originally Posted by lucien

Prince Willem-Alexander will attend,and speech,at the annual IDB meeting in Guatemala City this sunday,march 18th.(The Inter-American development Bank)

The Prince,in his capacity,of Chair of the UNSGAB will urge the participating (47) countries to really make a move towards the UN millennium goals on water and sanitation.

Speech by HRH:

Het Koninklijk Huis

Het Koninklijk Huis

PPE Agency

Courtesy PPE.

[princess olga]

Kroonprins: Geen woorden maar daden - telegraaf.nl [Binnenland]

From de Telegraaf.

It's about Alexander not pulling any punches in a speech about global water needs for the United Nations in his capacity as Chair of the UN commission for global water management. "We don't need words, we need deeds," is the title of this article quoting the prince.

He's also quoted as saying: "I'm just a cog in the wheel, but I do want to make a difference." And "humans have lived for eons without fossil fuels, but they can't live without water for more than a few days." Wow, Alex! Take that, peak oil conspiracy fans, take that!

Seriously, I'll conclude the obvious here which is that Alexander is not only stepping up to the plate and into the spotlight as his role allows him to do. He also is a showcase of the fact you can be and a prince, and have a vision, and a valuable one at that. Go Alex! :)

[lucien]

Hear hear Princess Olga!

Speech by HRH on World Water Day,Rome,march 22nd:

Het Koninklijk Huis

Rome,yesterday.

PPE Agency

Courtesy PPE.

[The Watcher]

Interview with the Prince last tuesday and more details about his work: Netwerk
According Netwerk he is King Water, since he is the Chair of UNSGAB. According them it is the highest Advisory Board of the UN, the only one that reports directly to the UN Secretary General.

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by lucien

Hear hear Princess Olga!

Speech by HRH on World Water Day,Rome,march 22nd:

Het Koninklijk Huis

Rome,yesterday.

PPE Agency

Courtesy PPE.

One thing I find too bad in a way though is that the HEllo! MAgazine's of the world rather put Angleina Jolie on their covers when she's acquired child nr. this and that, rather than put a person on there who might be less photogenic, but is de facto doing so much more for the planet

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Interview with the Prince last tuesday and more details about his work: Netwerk
According Netwerk he is King Water, since he is the Chair of UNSGAB. According them it is the highest Advisory Board of the UN, the only one that reports directly to the UN Secretary General.

That's great, I was starting to wonder where all the publicity was that such an event should trigger

[Marengo]

As posted by Marianne on the Benelux Royals MB:

Here is the Speech by the Prince of Oranje,
which he held (earlier) today May 31, 2007 at the start of the Asian Dialogue at the Eighth Meeting of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, Shanghai


The power of numbers
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome. As chairman of UNSGAB – the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation – it is only fitting that I first say a few words of thanks. To start with, I should like to thank the Chinese government for its hospitality, again underscoring its commitment to the world water agenda. I should also like to thank our co-host, the Asian Development Bank, an indispensable partner in the region. And finally I should like to thank all of you for coming here today. I am pleased that so many governments and stakeholder organisations are represented. For me that is proof that you – like us – endorse the significance of MDG seven, target ten – to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.
The 2007 report of the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water supply and Sanitation shows that remarkable progress has been made on water supply since 1990. Nevertheless, most countries are still not on track to meet the 2015 target. That is cause for concern. And it is even greater cause for concern that progress on the sanitation targets is lagging far behind. One of the reasons for this is a significant decline in official development assistance for water and sanitation. As the Human Development Report 2006 clearly states, in 2004 international aid for water and sanitation was less than in 2000, the year the Millennium Development Goals were adopted.
Read more here:
http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/content.jsp?objectid=18653 © RVD

Pic 1

[lucien]

HRH,in his capacity of Chair of UNSGAB,speeched at the annual meeting of the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the Worldbank,Amsterdam this morning.

The Speech:
Het Koninklijk Huis

Het Koninklijk Huis

HRH in Shanghai last week:
Het Koninklijk Huis

Courtesy RVD

[lucien]

HRH will speech at the jubilee of the International Unions Federation,Public Services International,in his capacity as Chair of UNSGAB,Vienna today.