Danish Water Forum reports from N-N Partnership meeting at Stockholm water week, August 2004

Danish Water Forum is one of 350 members of World Water Council. The WWC 19th Board of Governors and Member Meeting was held on 18 August 2004 as a side event of the Stockholm Water Week. There were approximately 50 participants. The main points of the agenda were:

a. Report on the Commission on Legal and Financial Affairs

The key activities of the Commission relate to a reform of the WWC Board of Governors and a Membership Drive Implementation Action Plan, both activities undertaken with a view to enhance the legitimacy and credibility of WWC. The reform of the WWC Board of Governors implies that the Board will continue to have a size of 35-38 members, but that all Members of the Board in the future will be elected apart from the host city (i.e. Marseilles). The members of WWC are organised in five colleges representing the broad categories of stakeholders. Each college will have 4-9 participants in the Board depending on the size of the college. The membership drive is undertaken with the view to increasing the number of members and to achieve a better representation of stakeholders and continents.

A third activity is on selection of host country for the 5th World Water Forum to be organised in West or South Asia in 2009. All countries in these two regions have been requested to express their interests.

b. Preparation of the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico16-22 March 2006.

The overall theme of 4th World Water Forum is “Local Actions for A Global Challenge”. The Forum structure will include a thematic forum “Local Projects of the World”, a Ministerial Conference, a Water Fair and a Water Expo. The preparatory process includes multi-stakeholder participation in local workshops and regional meetings as well as a virtual forum (as in Kyoto).

The thematic content of the Forum will encompass five framework themes that refer to major global water challenges: i.e. water for development; implementing IWRM; water supply and sanitation for all; water management for food and environment; and water security. Each framework theme is addressed within the context of five cross-cutting issues: new models for financing local initiatives; institutional development and political process; Capacity building and social learning; application of science, technology and knowledge; and targeting, monitoring and implementation assessment.

The Forum will be an excellent opportunity for members of Danish Water Forum to present their knowledge, concepts, and products for a global audience. See also: www.worldwaterforum4.org.mx

c. Preparation of the Council’s Triennial Work Plan

The WWC has prepared a triennial work plan. The triennial work plan goes hand-in hand with and supports the themes of the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico in 2006 which on the other side will provide valuable inputs to the continued scoping and content of WWC activities and the work plan itself.

The three pillars of the work plan are (i) the reform mentioned above, (ii) the 4th World Water Forum, and (iii) a action programme focusing on a limited number of priority water issues with focus at policy and political level. The action programme comprises two main programmes led by the WWC itself:

Furthermore WWC supports a number of associated projects led by WWC members including an International Co-operation facility; Water and Cultural Diversity; N-N Partnership; Dialogue on Water Food and Environment – Virtual Water; Dialogue on Water and Climate; and Groundwater.