On Friday, September 13, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Indonesian Retno L.P. Marsudi as the first Special Envoy on Water. “Her assignment will focus on strengthening partnerships and coordinating global efforts to advance the international water agenda, including the follow-up to the 2023 UN Water Conference,” a UN statement reads. Retno Marsudi, currently Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia since 2014, will undertake the role of Special Envoy on Water as of November 1, 2024, at the end of her government term.
Retno Marsudi, first UN Special Envoy on Water
The agreement to appoint the first Special Envoy on Water had been reached in March 2023 during the UN Water Conference, the first summit at the global level in over forty-seven years. Rumors about the appointment of a female figure had circulated in August during World Water Week in Stockholm, but confirmation came precisely only on September 13, with Guterres' official announcement.
Marsudi will not only have the task of overseeing the implementation of the 700 voluntary commitments reached in New York in 2023 with the Water Action Agenda. The new Special Envoy on Water will have to represent the UN Secretary-General in global water proceedings. At the same time, Marsudi will also work with UN-Water, the interagency mechanism coordinating the efforts of UN entities and international organizations working on water and sanitation issues in line with the Global Acceleration Framework of SDG 6, the sustainable development goal committed to water resources.
As explained in the statement, the role of Special Envoy on Water is to promote water and sanitation issues at the political level, both within and outside the United Nations. The envoy will be responsible for bringing together all stakeholders, providing visibility to the work of the UN, and mobilizing tangible actions and financial resources to address the global water crisis.
Who is Retno Marsudi
Retno Marsudi, born in Semarang on November 27, 1962, is the first woman to serve as Indonesia's foreign affairs minister. With nearly four decades of diplomatic experience under her belt, as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, she recently led the hosting of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali. During her career, Marsudi has served as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (2019-2020), chair of the G20 (2022), chair of ASEAN (2023), and many other international bodies and organizations.
In 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Marsudi was appointed as co-chair of the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) Engagement Group “to support the involvement of 92 low- and middle-income economies in the COVAX Facility and ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines,” the statement said. Marsudi also served as Indonesian ambassador to the Netherlands (2012-2014) and ambassador to Iceland and Norway (2005-2008).
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Cover image: ©ONU