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The 5th World Water Forum concluded deliberations in Istanbul: the Ministerial Declaration, the water guide and the Istanbul Water Consensus as the two most important outcomes
The 5th World Water Forum concluded deliberations in Istanbul, on March 21 afternoon. Ministers met at a closing session in the morning of March 21, during which they presented summaries on eight roundtable sessions and adopted their Declaration. Participants at a celebration of UN World Water Day then joined the ministers for the closing ceremony of the Forum.
Highlighting the Ministerial Declaration and the Istanbul Water Consensus as the two most important outcomes of the 5th World Water Forum, Veysel Eroğlu, Minister for Environment and Forestry, Turkey, called for the official adoption of the Ministerial Declaration. He said the draft, finished March 4, 2009, represented the final product of a longer preparatory process and that it would not be reopened as requested by some delegations. He congratulated all who participated in the drafting of the document and predicted successful outcomes if adopted. The Ministerial Declaration includes commitments to, inter alia:
• Implement IWRM at the river-basin level;
• Improve water-demand management;
• Preserve environmental flows, increase resilience and restore ecosystems;
• Prevent and respond to water-related disasters;
• Improve water-related monitoring systems and ensure the availability (freely) of information for all concerned populations, including neighbouring countries;
• Improve water governance at national level;
• Support scientific research, education, development and adoption of new technologies and broadening of technological choices in the field of water;
• Invite international organizations and institutions to support international efforts to enhance the dissemination of experiences and sharing of best practices on sustainable water resources rehabilitation, protection, conservation, management and utilization;
• Promote effective use of financial resources from all sources, including encouraging international financial institutions, development partners and beneficiary countries to increase support for water management, water supply and sanitation;
• Recognize water as a basic human need and acknowledge work on human rights and access to water in the UN system;
• Prioritize water and sanitation in development planning;
• Promote cooperation on sustainable use and protection of transboundary water resources; and
• Agree to respect international law protecting water resources during conflict.
Principle 15 on water as a basic human need garnered attention during debates at the Forum. Representatives from some countries called for recognizing the human right to water and basic sanitation as well as acknowledging the cultural value of water, and the inclusion of indigenous peoples in water management.
WWC Director General Ger Bergkamp, encouraged governments and participants to move
the world water agenda forward and expressed the WWC’s readiness to help implement the commitments made by providing support for capacity development.
Eroğlu highlighted that the Forum had brought together over 120 countries and helped create a better understanding of water issues as well as designing water policies for sustainable
development. He concluded by highlighting that the decisions taken at the Forum and their implementation are a platform for “fraternity, cooperation and peace.”
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Istanbul Ministerial Statement - Ministerial Process (pdf, English)
A final version of the Istanbul water Consensus including minor amendments has been endorsed during the General Assembly (19th March 2009).
The 5th World Water Forum, Istanbul, 2009-03-15/22
http://www.worldwaterforum5.org/
| Contact information |
Dr Céline DUBREUIL, PhD., Programme Officer / Chargée de Mission, World Water Council / Conseil Mondial de l’Eau, 2-4 Place d'Arvieux, Espace Gaymard, 13002 Marseilles - France
(email: C.dubreuil@worldwatercouncil.org) Phone: +33 (0) 4 91 99 41 00 ; Fax: +33 (0) 4 91 99 41 01 |
|---|---|
| News type | Inbrief |
| File link |
http://www.worldwaterforum5.org/ |
| File link local |
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| Source of information | IISD |
| Subject(s) | AGRICULTURE , ANALYSIS AND TESTS , CHARACTERISTICAL PARAMETERS OF WATERS AND SLUDGES , DRINKING WATER , DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION : COMMON PROCESSES OF PURIFICATION AND TREATMENT , ENERGY , FINANCE-ECONOMY , HEALTH - HYGIENE - PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISM , HYDRAULICS - HYDROLOGY , INDUSTRY , INFORMATION - COMPUTER SCIENCES , INFRASTRUCTURES , MEASUREMENTS AND INSTRUMENTATION , METHTODOLOGY - STATISTICS - DECISION AID , NATURAL MEDIUM , POLICY-WATER POLICY AND WATER MANAGEMENT , PREVENTION AND NUISANCES POLLUTION , RIGHT , RISKS AND CLIMATOLOGY , SANITATION -STRICT PURIFICATION PROCESSES , SLUDGES , TOOL TERMS , TOURISM - SPORT - HOBBIES , WATER DEMAND , WATER QUALITY |
| Relation | http://www.semide.net/documents/meetings/events/selected-events-5th-world-water-forum-istanbul-36778 |
| Geographical coverage | Turkey, International |
| News date | 23/03/2009 |
| Working language(s) | ENGLISH |
