ANTI-Corruption in the water sector: Thematic meeting 13 January 2010

The availability of sufficient water of good quality is fundamental for livelihoods, for production, for development and is thus essential for meeting the UN Millennium goals. One of the constraints to development and to meeting the MDG’s is corruption and lack of transparency, which is persistent in the water sector as well as in other sectors.

With the purpose of fighting corruption in the water sector and to improving cooperation and developments of partnerships on this issue Water Integrity network WIN was founded in 2006 by Transparency International and a number of international water organizations.  As one of its activities WIN has produced the Global Corruption Report 2008: Corruption in the Water Sector.

To discuss the issue of corruption in the water sector and future activities in a number of developing countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ghana, Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso and Mozambique two representatives of Water Integrity Network, Teun Bastemeijer and Erik Nielsen visited to Denmark to present international findings and experiences. More information on WIN can be found at www.waterintegritynetwork.net  Link to presentations are shown in bold.

Programme for the meeting:

14.00    Welcome by Jens Fugl, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (link to Danidas anti-corruption web-page)

14.15      Presentation of WIN by Erik Nielsen and Teun Bastemeijer: background and strategic focus, business integrity and options for partnership with Danish private water sector.  Introduction    Indicators    Cases

14.40    Danish experiences on business integrity and transparency

                        - COWI: Tonny Jensen, Business Integrity Manager and Vagn Rehøj, Chief Project Manager

                        - Grundfos: Bo Mortensen, Business Director, East and Central Europe

15.10    Discussion

15.30    End of Meeting