Keynote Address: The Water Action Decade #WaterActionDecade
by [Former] Ambassador  Mr. RODRIGO A. CARAZO of Costa Rica to the United Nations (2018-2022); Currently, Member of the Human Rights Committee in Geneva; Advisory Board Member of the Light Millennium Global, and Co-Chair of the 2025 Evaluation Committee #JUCAwards2025

The below Keynote Address was delivered at the 2025 J.U.C. Awards Ceremony on March 22, 2025.


[LMGlobal.Org] My warm and sincere to everyone, particularly to all the participants in the J.U.C. Awards Ceremony.

It is an honor to address this gathering as we celebrate the remarkable work of young writers from different countries who, under their mentors´guidance in some cases, have reflected and put in writing their thoughts on one of the most pressing issues of our time: the indispensable need of clean water.

On 28 July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a historical resolution recognizing “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights” (A/RES/64/292).



8 years later, on 22 March 2018 – 7 years ago to this precise day, the World Water Day and with a forecast of a 40 percent shortfall in freshwater resources by 2030, coupled with the expansion of world population which have the world oriented towards a global water crisis, again the UN General Assembly launched the Water Action Decade, adopted in December 2016— as a time for Action on “Water for Sustainable Development” and the need to transform how water is managed since, as was the motto, Every Drop Counts.

Emphasizing that water is critical for sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger, …. deep concern over the lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene and over water-related disasters, scarcity and pollution being exacerbated by urbanization, population growth, desertification, drought, and climate change.

Very dear participants—you have taken on an issue that affects billions of people and have used and will use the power of words to make a difference.

Jacques Yves Cousteau‘s famous quote, “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one”, which has been the motto of this project that “Water is life“. It is the foundation of health, dignity, and development. And quality of life. Despite United Nations’ recognition in 2010 and insistence in 2016, millions still lack safe drinking water. This is not just a technical or environmental issue—it is a question of fundamental justice. Lacking access to water entails the inability to live healthy and dignified lives.

Across the world, countless communities, and hundreds of millions of human beings, face growing threats to their water supply. Climate change is intensifying droughts and floods. Pollution from industries and agriculture is contaminating rivers, lakes, and water reservoirs. In too many places, water remains a privilege rather than a right, with the marginalized communities and individuals suffering the most. The challenge is clear: we must ensure that access to clean water is assured and provided for everyone, not just for those who can afford it.

Water scarcity, water pollution, and water distribution are dire challenges for young people to tackle for the rest of their lives. That is why your voices today, and your actions always do matter. Young people have always been at the forefront of change; your generation will play a critical role in assuring every person the right to clean and safe water, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Through writing, activism, science, or policy-making, you have since now the power to demand, propose, and enact solutions, inspire awareness, and take action. The ideas you have explored in this contest are not just words—they are the seeds of change.

As we conclude this event I encourage you to carry forward the passion and insight you have demonstrated here. Keep questioning. Keep advocating. Keep writing. The right to water and sanitation is a cause worth struggling for, and your voices can help shape a future where clean water is truly accessible to all.

Thanks to all the participants for drawing this road. Don´t get off of it.
Thanks to the organizers for getting all of us to engage in this fundamental issue.

[Begins in 27:19 min.]

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