This year, Japan Water Forum’s Communication Lounge will be held under a broader theme of “Addressing Toward Sustainable Society from the Water Perspective”.

The first JWF Communication Lounge 2018 (“Lounge”) was held on 27 July 2018 jointly-held by the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in Japan and Japan Water Forum. This Lounge was titled “Bringing SDGs in Your Business Strategies – International and Japan Trend on Water Issues, UN Water Action Decade and Attainment of SDG-Goal 6”.

The United Nations’ concrete actions against the worldwide water crisis have started towards the attainment of SDGs. Japan also established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Promotion Headquarters in 2015, and since then various initiatives have been led by the Government of Japan in order to disseminate the concept of SDGs for achievement.

On 22 March 2018, the UN International Decade for Action: Water for Sustainable Development 2018 – 2018 was launched aiming to increase awareness of the international community against the upcoming water crisis and further improve cooperation and unite efforts of water-related projects and events on the global, regional and national levels for 10 years to come towards the achievement of water-related SDGs.

Immediately following this announcement, the International High-level Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028” was held in Dushanbe, a capital of Tajikistan from 20 to 22 June, 2018 (“Dushanbe Conference”), co-held by the UN and the Government of Tajikistan. More than 500 people gathered including heads of state and government and ministers from over 70 countries and regions. The outcomes of the Dushanbe Conference was compiled as “FINAL DECLARATION PROMOTING ACTION AND POLICY DIALOGUE” which was adopted on the last day of the Conference.
≫ For details on Dushanbe Conference, please visit here.

Japan Water Forum (JWF), who is Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) secretariat, participated in the Dushanbe Conference. JWF played an important role of rapporteur for one of the Action Panels, “Water Sustainability in Cities and Human Settlements”. JWF recorded the discussions and delivered the outcome of the Panel at the plenary meeting.

In the light of such international discussions and trends, we will diligently share the outcomes at the JWF Communication Lounge. The First Lounge of 2018 thus took a form of seminar to introduce what has been discussed in various international conferences and how the Government of Japan has been addressing the issue of SDGs.

We would like to provide opportunities in near future at the Lounge to share good practices and challenges of private companies and organizations who not only position the SDGs as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities but will also proactively embrace the SDGs in their business strategies to improve their corporate images and thus draw ESG (Energy, Society and Governance) investments into their companies, for further discussions with various stakeholders and water experts.

<Summary of the First Lounge>

Day & time	Friday, 27 July 2018, 15:30 to 17:30 pm
Venue	International Conference Room, Joint Government Building No. 2 (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Theme	Bringing SDGs in Your Business Strategies –International and Japan Trend on Water Issues – UN Water Action Decade and Attainment of SDG-Goal 6
Joint-hosting	Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in Japan Japan Water Forum
Participants	Twenty eight (28) audiences including water-related companies, local governments , academics, etc.
Program	[Opening] Dr. Kotaro Takemura Chair & Secretary General ofJapan Water Forum [Keynote Speech] H.E.Dr.Hamrokhon Zarifi Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tajikistan Briefing on the outcome of the International High-level Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2018-2028 held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in June of 2018. [Presentations] Dr. Kenzo Hiroki Professor of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies Explanation of the background and the world trend before reaching the UN Water Action Decade as well as the prospective direction of international discussions on water issues after the Dushanbe Conference. Ms. Satomi Okagaki Senior Deputy Director for Global Issues Cooperation Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Initiatives towards attainment of the SDGs by the Government of Japan including the facilitation plan and the action plan. Mr. Masahiro Yamaguchi Deputy Director for Water Resources Planning Division, Water and Disaster Management Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (“MLIT”) Mr. Natsuki Hisaoka Director for International Affairs, Sewerage Planning Division, Water and Disaster Management Bureau, MLIT Mr. Tomoyuki Okada Director for International Coordination of River Engineering River Planning Division, Water and Disaster Management Bureau, MLIT Sharing of some practices the Water and Disaster Management Bureau of MLIT has been addressing in the fields of disaster prevention, water resources and wastewater treatment within and outside of Japan to attain water-related SDGs. Ms. Sae Ishihara Manager of Japan Water Forum Briefing on the Action Panel “Water Sustainability in Cities and Human Settlements” of the Dushanbe Conference and the insights gained by attending the Conference. [F&Q]
	Photos of the Lounge