On 17 January this year, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, set the course for the 6^th World Water Forum during the second stakeholders’ consultation meeting in Paris. Held in Marseilles in March 2012, it will be the “forum for solutions”. Its ambitious goal will therefore be to arrive at concrete solutions to ensure that access to water is not only a recognised right, but a reality as well. The challenge is huge because almost a billion human beings currently have no access to drinking water, and almost 2.5 billion have no access to water treatment. 8 million people (including 2 million children) die every year of diseases associated with unsafe drinking water.

A few months after the Rio+20 conference (marking 20 years since the Earth Summit in 1992), the World Water Forum will bring together tens of thousands of stakeholders from every continent – local councillors, experts, companies, NGOs, etc. As a foretaste to the Forum, on 17 January this year, in the presence of over 400 stakeholders from 55 different countries (governments, local authorities, international institutions, companies, NGOs and research institutes), Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet established four priority objectives:

1. To promote access to water and sanitation: the minister noted that "while new impetus has been given through the recognition of water and sanitation as a right [by the UN General Assembly in July 2010], the 6th World Water Forum must enable another corner to be turned".
2. To ensure that undertakings are monitored: the Forum will be an opportunity to take stock of the progress achieved in providing access to water and sanitation. The establishment of a permanent monitoring procedure will also be discussed.
3. To increase cross-border cooperation: in this context, France will endeavour, both at the Forum and beyond if necessary, to promote the United Nations convention aimed at making water a factor of cooperation between countries.
4. To develop the role of local authorities in water management: building on the achievements of the last World Water Forum (held in Istanbul in March 2009), the Marseilles Forum must enable the highest possible number of local authorities to sign up to the “Istanbul Pact”, which aims to improve the local governance of water.

Concluding these two days of preparation, Henri de Raincourt, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, in charge of cooperation, highlighted the "major diplomatic issue" that access to water represents: "By taking action for water, we are acting for the stability of the most fragile regions and contributing to international security".
 

More

• Read the article on World Water Council News, 20/01/11
  
• Visit the official website of the 6^th World Water Forum
• Download the “Istanbul Pact” (French only)