2023 UN Water Conference
March 22nd-24th 2023
The world has come together to address the urgent water crisis at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York. It has been 46 years since the last water conference at the UN. Co-hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Tajikistan, the Conference is a global accelerated implementation to improve impact and advance the challenges surrounding water.
Team Mills Foundation collaborated with our long term partner, Source water by holding an event to specifically address drinking water for remote communities in which innovation is implemented to support culture, development and adaptation.
Jerry Williams who is the Legislative District Assistant and former LeChee Chapter President, Navajo Nation, provided a cultural welcome and Cliff Matias from Redhawk Native American Council explained the connection to water through culture with a dance from the Rosebud Sioux tribe from South Dakota.
Patty Mills, Mina Guli, Kim Starkey and the Founder/CEO of Source Cody Friesen connected to speak about their connection to water and why their partnership with Source is important to delivering clean drinking water to remote communities worldwide.
Patty Mills on the importance of his visit to the UN,
“In 1985, my father Benny Mills, stepped into the United Nations headquarters New York City. He was a part of the Australian delegation to the UN Human Rights Committee to attend the hearing on Australia’s report to the UN on its performance and actions under the UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights.
A man from Thursday Island, Torres Strait, coordinating and preparing the Australian report to the UN, sitting in Conference Room 4 at the UN headquarters a part of the Australian delegation, in the mid 1980’s…unheard of.Recently on a Nets game day in Brooklyn, I visited the UN in New York City to attend the #UN2023WaterConference. During my visit, I was able to sneak into Conference Room 4 to get a tiny glimpse at where my father sat during a hearing some 38 years before.
For my Dad, this was only a portion of the work he did within the UN in New York and Geneva impacting lives right across Australia. Groundbreaking efforts by him that go far beyond what I’ll ever be able to do with a basketball.
I only hope our work through Team Mills Foundation and Indigenous Basketball Australia can make a similar high quality, long lasting impact to those in need.”
