Glamourous Royals Rania and Máxima Descend upon New York

The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands were in New York this week to participate in various panels and meetings revolving around water, sanitation and finance. On Monday, Princess Máxima took part in a panel entitled “Microcredit, Microfinance, Inclusive Finance: Building on Success for Innovative Solutions for Poverty Eradication in Africa.” Below are some highlights from her speech before the panel.

“During the International Year of Microcredit, the United Nations asked me and 24 other distinguished colleagues from a variety of professional arenas including finance, academia, development, government and the regulatory community, to become a part of a new Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors.”

“Our task was to identify and define the key issues limiting access to financial services and advise the United Nations and its member states on strategies and concrete steps to remove these constraints – a task we gladly took on.”
“Inclusive finance” is so much more than microcredit. There are more than 2.1 billion “unbanked” people around the globe - people who do not have access to even the most basic types of financial services that we often take for granted: bank accounts, insurance, savings, mortgages, money transfers and – yes—credit.”

Meanwhile, her husband, Prince Willem-Alexander gave speeches before various panels such as the Round Table on Health and Education, High-Level Event. Below are some highlights from his round table address.

“As chairman of his advisory board on water and sanitation I feel privileged that the Secretary-General offered me the opportunity to speak at one of the Round Tables, especially as he also allowed me to choose which discussion I wished to address. This shows that he shares my concern about the water and sanitation crisis, suffered by more than 40% of the World’s population.”

“You might think I am in the wrong room right now and should be speaking at roundtable number 3 on Environmental Sustainability which is where MDG 7 target 3 would seem to belong with conventional wisdom prevailing. I prefer a more unconventional out of the box approach and chose this Round Table – on Health and Education – to speak about water and sanitation because you cannot achieve the MDG’s in these areas without improving water, sanitation and hygiene. The lack of access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation causes lasting negative effects on the health and development of human lives. Those effects will only increase if we do not intervene…”

“The sanitation target is linked to health and education in so many ways. MDG 4 for instance, reducing child mortality: it is estimated that the lack of access to sanitation causes at least a quarter of all child deaths in the developing world. MDG 5 speaks of improving maternal health: the World Health Organisation calculates the impact of the lack of safe drinking water and basic sanitation to be around 529,000 maternal deaths a year. And MDG 6 is aimed at combating diseases: WHO estimates that improving water, sanitation and hygiene has the potential to prevent at least nine per cent of the disease burden.”

“Besides these synergies with health, we can see an unmistakable relationship between education and the targets on water and sanitation. To achieve MDG 2, universal primary education: by meeting the water and sanitation targets, an estimated 272 million school days would be recovered which are currently missed by school children suffering the effects of waterborne or sanitation-related diseases and related problems.”

Whilst the Dutch royals were expounding on their areas of expertise, Queen Rania of Jordan was fulfilling engagements close to her heart. She attended various panels, meetings and award ceremonies such as the Class of 2015: Education For All pledging summit , the Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Awards, the Global Campaign for Education event, the UNDP World Business and Development Awards and In My Name: MDG Call to Action event.

On Tuesday, the queen received the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award at the Synergos University for a Night event. She was recognized for her endeavors in “education, health, youth, and the environment.” Rania was also praised for her core efforts in the areas of microfinance, family issues and cultural understanding.

For more information on Synergos, visit the official website.

Photos: ANP/Rene Clement, Petra

The Prince of Orange Speaks at Conference in the Philippines

In his capacity as Chairman of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, the Prince of Orange attended the 8th Asia Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production conference in Cebu, Philippines on Thursday. In his speech, the prince presented the goals of the United Nations to improve water resources and sanitation conditions globally and said, “water is life. There is no substitute. To achieve sustainable development, water has to be at the forefront. Water has a pivotal role in socioeconomic development and food production. Sound and sustainable management of water resources may reduce the effects of climate change.”

“What is more, water and sanitation make the greatest contribution to improving health and comprehensively reducing poverty…UNSGAB has received many positive responses to our call for action. Governments and organisations recognise water and sanitation issues and show their commitment to dealing with them by placing them high on the political agenda. This is one of UNSGAB’s most important objectives.”

The entire speech by the Prince of Orange at the 8th Asia Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production conference in Cebu, Philippines can be read here.

For more information on the Asia Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production, visit the official website.

Photo: © APRSCP

Belgian Royals Engage in Water Play at Zoo

Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde took their brood of four, Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore on a trip to Zoo Antwerpen this week. Dressed in pink and white, eleven-week-old Princess Eléonore calmly surveyed her surroundings whilst her older siblings reveled in the fresh air and squirted water from huge amphibians with their father at one of the fountains.Photos: REUTERS

The Prince of Orange Attends 10th Meeting of UNSGAB in Japan

The Prince of Orange, along with Honorary President Crown Prince Naruhito, attended the tenth meeting of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation in Japan today. As chairman of the UNSGAB, the Dutch prince presented the opening remarks and said: “We have taken big strides in raising public awareness about sanitation. Now we must find ways to ensure that this increases access to safe sanitation at grassroots level. For we have only a few years to halve the number of people without access to safe sanitation, something we, the people of the United Nations, have committed ourselves to achieving.”

Tomorrow afternoon, Prince Willem-Alexander will meet with African leaders and ministers to prepare for the upcoming TICAD IV (Tokyo International Conference on African Development), the G-8 and the African Union Summit in an effort to “help prioritize the critical issues for water and sanitation.”

The entire opening remarks by the Prince of Orange at the tenth meeting of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation in Tokyo, Japan can be read here.

Crown Prince Naruhito's entire address at the opening cermony of the tenth Meeting of the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation in Tokyo, Japan can be read here.

Photo: Maya Trotz

Prince of Orange Delivers Speech in Bogotá

On November 16th, the Prince of Orange delivered a speech at the 9th Meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation Inter-American Dialogue in Bogotá, Colombia. He advised shareholders of the Inter-American Development Bank and South American representatives to work toward the millennium development goals of the United Nations and said, “July 1, 2007 marked the half way point in our pursuit of the MDGs. Over seven and a half years have passed since 2000 when countries committed themselves to improving the lives of so many still in need. That means we have less than 7 and a half years to go. Our Board is dedicated to doing everything in our power to reach the water and sanitation targets. But, of course, we can only make progress if we work in concert with you.”

The Prince of Orange’s entire speech from the 9th Meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation Inter-American Dialogue in Bogotá, Colombia can be read here.

State Visit to India for Beatrix, Willem-Alexander and Máxima

From October 24th to October 27th, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was joined by the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima on a state visit to India. In the royal agenda, the focus was on trade relations, ecology, water and micro-finance. The queen was invited by India’s president, Pratibha Patil. In her speech on Wednesday at the state banquet, Queen Beatrix reminisced about her first state visit and cited the changes since that time. “My family and I have visited your country several times, and we have already had an opportunity to get to know and appreciate the rich diversity of India’s population and cultures. Moreover, in nineteen eighty-six my husband and I paid the first Dutch State visit to your country and two years later President Venkataraman visited the Netherlands. This second State visit is therefore rather exceptional. It is marked by the great changes which have taken place over the last twenty years, both within India and with regard to its position in the world,” the queen remarked.

On Thursday, Prince Willem-Alexander gave a lecture at the seminar Water and Microfinance: Exploring Innovative Partnerships. In his speech, “Water and Microfinance: exploring the engagement of two sectors,” he gave examples of strengthening the partnership and said: “In order to reach sustainable and efficient microfinance, it needs to be integrated into the mainstream financial sector and not be treated as a project or as aid.”

“So, looking at the global challenges of water, sanitation and climate change: where exactly do we see water and microfinance teaming up for the solutions? That is the question we put before you today. I will briefly share some ideas here.”
“As I said, lack of hygiene and absence of clean water puts a severe health and financial strain on the productivity of families, preventing them from investing their valuable time and money in, for instance, education, or starting a small business. Across the world we have seen approaches to address these problems by using microcredits for micro solutions like small scale rainwater harvesting, water purification, water reuse and storage. Microcredits and savings are also used in sanitation schemes, like credits for micro entrepreneurs that construct latrines or even sale of composted excrement. Mrs Nair will be able to tell you more about these experiences.”

“We know climate change increasingly puts small farmers in a very vulnerable position. Their crops are destroyed by too little or too much water. We also know that big irrigation schemes in arid places will not be the answer; they simply put too much stress on the scarce water resources. Microfinance can help to reduce the vulnerability of farmers. Small and environmentally sustainable irrigation schemes could be set up with microcredits and risks of severe flooding or drought could be mitigated by micro insurance.”

Queen Beatrix’s entire speech from the state banquet in New Delhi can be read here.

The Prince of Orange’s entire speech from the seminar Water and Microfinance: Exploring Innovative Partnerships can be read here.

Photos: ANP

Prince Willem-Alexander Reviews Water and Sanitation Objectives in Amsterdam

In his speech yesterday at the 8th Council Meeting of the Water and Sanitation Program in Amsterdam, the Prince of Orange reviewed objectives of the Hashimoto Action Plan. Furthermore, he challenged the attendees to advocate the International Year of Sanitation on the local and national level and said: “A month ago in New York we had a successful preparatory meeting on the International Year of Sanitation, where we pinpointed the general objectives. My main priority over the next seven months is to lobby as much support as possible. What we need are advocates to take the International Year of Sanitation to the national and local level. Sanitation must become a top priority at these levels. So I am here to ask for your support. I have already agreed with your chair in New York that the World Bank and WSP will be drawing up a plan of action to support the objectives of the IYS. I trust that with this plan we can work together to engage donors and governments.”

Prince Willem-Alexander's entire speech at 8th Council Meeting of the Water and Sanitation Program in Amsterdam can be read here.

Photo: Waternet

Shanghai Meeting for The Prince Of Orange

As chairman of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, the Prince of Orange has been engaged in numerous meetings regarding the organization of the International Year of Sanitation 2008.

In relation to the Hashimoto Action Plan, Prince Willem-Alexander continued his discourse on water and sanitation measures at the start of the Asian Dialogue at the Eighth Meeting of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and said: “Our sole raison d’être is to speed up work on the water and sanitation goals. The Hashimoto Action Plan, named in memory of my predecessor, Mr Ryutaro Hashimoto, guides us in our work. It’s our first report. And our last. It is concise – just twelve pages long, with no new mandates or proclamations. Instead, it concentrates on the targets the international community has already set itself, building on knowledge that is already out there. So our message is a simple one: no more new ideas or policies. Instead, let’s implement the ones we already have. The plan’s main function is to focus on the actions that need to be taken and to challenge the people that will be responsible for turning words into deeds – this means you.”

“So today’s Regional Dialogue on Asia and the Pacific is a critical step in achieving the goals of the Hashimoto Action Plan. The UNSGAB members strongly believe that a regional approach, uniting governments, the water sector, water users and financial institutions, presents the best prospect of success.”

The Prince of Orange’s entire speech from the Eighth Meeting of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation in Shanghai entitled The Power of Numbers can be read here.

Photo: UNSGAB Secretariat