A/RES/58/217 agencies and other United Nations entities, and other water-related collaborative mechanisms and initiatives, Taking note also of the Ministerial Declaration entitled “Message from the Lake Biwa and Yodo River Basin”, adopted on 23 March 2003, at the Ministerial Conference on the occasion of the Third World Water Forum, held in Kyoto, Japan, 7 and the Dushanbe Water Appeal, proclaimed on 1 September 2003 at the International Freshwater Forum, held in Dushanbe from 29 August to 1 September 2003, 8 1. Proclaims the period from 2005 to 2015 the International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”, to commence on World Water Day, 22 March 2005; 2. Decides that the goals of the Decade should be a greater focus on waterrelated issues at all levels and on the implementation of water-related programmes and projects, while striving to ensure the participation and involvement of women in water-related development efforts, and the furtherance of cooperation at all levels, in order to help to achieve internationally agreed water-related goals contained in Agenda 21,1 the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21,2 the United Nations Millennium Declaration5 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation,3 and, as appropriate, those identified during the twelfth and thirteenth sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development; 3. Welcomes the decision of the Commission on Sustainable Development at its eleventh session, as reflected in its multi-year programme of work, to consider water, sanitation and human settlements as the thematic cluster in the first cycle, 2004-2005, 9 and invites the Commission to work within existing resources to identify possible activities and programmes in connection with the Decade within the framework of its consideration of the thematic cluster of issues on water, sanitation and human settlements at its twelfth and thirteenth sessions, as provided for by its multi-year programme of work; Invites the Secretary-General to take the appropriate steps to organize the 4. activities of the Decade, taking into account the results of the International Year of Freshwater and the work of the Commission on Sustainable Development at its twelfth and thirteenth sessions; Calls upon the relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, 5. regional commissions and other organizations of the United Nations system to deliver a coordinated response, utilizing existing resources and voluntary funds, to make “Water for Life” a decade for action. 78th plenary meeting 23 December 2003 _______________ 7 A/57/785, annex. A/58/362, annex. 9 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2003, Supplement No. 9 (E/2003/29), chap. I, sect. A. 8 2