The 2023 celebration of World Water Day features "Accelerating Change". The event takes place every year on 22 March to celebrate water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people currently living without access to safe water. A core focus of World Water Day is to inspire action towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. 

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World Water Day 2022 campaign image on groundwater
Campaign poster of World Water Day 2022, putting the emphasis on groundwater.
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World Water Day 2022 campaign image on groundwater
Campaign poster of World Water Day 2022, putting the emphasis on groundwater.

At the 34th UN-Water Meeting in March 2021, the UN-Water Members and Partners decided that the theme of the 2023 World Water Day (22 March) and the World Toilet Day (19 November) campaign, of the same year will be “Accelerating Change.” The UN World Water Development Report will further focus on partnerships and cooperation with the provisional title “Accelerating Change through Partnerships and Cooperation”.

UN-Water coordinates the global thematic campaigns for the annual United Nations international observances on freshwater and sanitation: World Water Day and World Toilet Day. We also contribute to other engagement initiatives on key water-related issues, and communicate with audiences via UN-Water’s social media channels.

World Water Day, 22 March
World Water Day is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. Leading up to 22 March, UN-Water runs a public campaign and people all over the world hold events. The United Nations World Water Development Report is launched on World Water Day itself, focusing on the same theme.

World Toilet Day, 19 November
World Toilet Day is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. The public campaign explores the same theme as World Water Day and promotes key findings from the UN World Water Development Report.