Spain’s approach to a major challenge

The natural calamities that have struck the Philippines in the last two months, and particularly Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” have triggered an unprecedented wave of solidarity from international organizations and countries around the world, Spain in particular. The volume of the response in terms of emergency relief is unheard of.

Thus, if we tried for a moment to rationalize the genuine emotions that have prompted so many—and so far-flung—countries to volunteer humanitarian aid to the Philippines, we just could not stop on the oft-repeated power of the main media outlets, broadcasting day and night live galling images, shaking the consciences of even the most absent-minded viewers.

It just cannot be only this. There is more to it, and we should look into the ever more permeating perception that—brushing aside excuses like the higher vulnerability of this or that country—tomorrow we could be the next one. For example, nobody expected, back in May 2011, that we would suffer a devastating earthquake in Lorca, Spain, it being hitherto among the least prone to such a natural disaster.

This common awareness is spreading over our societies and demands with increasing vigor and sense of urgency an international response involving all international organizations and countries. And first and foremost, the United Nations as the most immediate instance for concerting views and efforts, and reaching all-encompassing agreements.

This has been the case in the last few years, when global issues have deserved ever-increasing attention, like climate change and access to natural resources, and in particular access to drinking water or, in a broader sense, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Back in 2010, the UN General Assembly declared access to water and sanitation a fundamental right in Resolution 64/292. Moreover, this soon-to-end 2013 is the International Year on cooperation concerning water.

All the emergency-relief operations launched and led by the government of the Philippines in the aftermath of the recent calamities, accompanied by both bilateral and multilateral donor countries, have clearly demonstrated from Day One how important it is to provide WASH early on to survivors of these calamities. But, looking beyond natural disasters and subsequent responses, steady investment on access to water and sanitation for the most destitute people also have a direct bearing on the life expectancy and their chances to escape poverty. Thus, access to water and sanitation should be a fundamental component in public policies in the field of disaster preparedness.

In view of the pressing need to improve and ensure the access to water and sanitation, we are forced to ask ourselves some fundamental questions. Do we still need reasons to put water on top of the priorities’ agenda of the international community for the coming years, as a key factor in maintaining peace and security in a broad sense? Does anyone of us still harbor doubts on the direct link between climate change and increased vulnerability toward natural disasters all over the world?

Peace and security, development and human rights are fundamental pillars of UN action, and also of Spain’s foreign policy. Coherently, Spain will shortly colaunch (with Algeria) a pioneering Strategy on Water for the Western Mediterranean sea, as a first step toward a whole Mediterranean-wide strategy.

Furthermore, access to water and sanitation is also a priority of our cooperation policy in Latin America and the Caribbean region—and, last but not least, in the Philippines, as the one country in the whole of Asia where Spain has decided to concentrate all its cooperation efforts.

Spain is going to continue to actively promote a universal recognition of access to water and sanitation as a fundamental right, and has just presented, along with Germany and with the cosponsorship of 89 other countries, a resolution in the III Commission of the 68th United Nations General Assembly, that has been adopted by consensus, aiming at the strengthening of the international acknowledgment of this right.

Spain is competing for a nonpermanent seat in the UN Security Council for the period 2015-2016 and, in the event of being elected, will continue to promote initiatives related to climate change and access to water, not only as a human right and prerequisite of development, but also as a precondition for peace, stability and development. To this end, we will tap on the accrued political capital stemming from the fact of being the sixth biggest donor to the UN and our extensive know-how and commitment in promoting development projects related to water, including the ones foreseen in the Spain-UN Development Programme Fund for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, as has been showcased in 23 countries around the world, including the Philippines.

Jorge Domecq is Spain’s ambassador to the Philippines.