About

GWP’s VISION is a water secure world. Our MISSION is to advance governance and management of water resources for sustainable and equitable development.

OUR UNIQUE VALUE: GWP mobilises action on the global water crisis through a unique combination of social capital, shared values, credibility within the global water community, bottom-up orientation, and expertise. A network of networks, we ensure the ‘voices of water’ can inﬂuence local, national, regional, and global development priorities. We are committed to our role as a neutral convener and respected for our focus on inclusiveness and sustainability.

Learn

GWP creates and communicates information about integrated water resources management which contributes to improved water governance and, ultimately, water security.

Together with our Partners, we provide knowledge resources and capacity building activities for solving water problems.

Partner

Institutional Partners are the basis of GWP's multi-stakeholder partnership. A strong, diverse partnership can bring about the changes needed to achieve a water secure world. In this section, learn about the benefits of being a Partner and meet a few who already are. We invite like-minded organisations to join us!

GWP Regions

This is where you can find links to the websites of our Regional Water Partnerships (RWPs). RWPs are closest to the countries where we work. They share knowledge and learning across national boundaries and are expected to have an open, inclusive, and gender-sensitive policies for bringing together as wide a group of stakeholders as possible to solve water problems.

Global

10/17/2024

Response to Svenska Dagbladet's article series on GWP

We are concerned about the recent series of articles published by Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) regarding the Global Water Partnership (GWP). While we respect the role of investigative journalism, these articles present an unfair and misleading portrayal of our organisation.

They fail to acknowledge the significant positive changes we have made since the challenges of 2022-2023, as well as the substantial impact of GWP’s work towards achieving water security across the world.

Taking criticism seriously

At GWP, we take all criticisms seriously, particularly those concerning the management of development aid funds and ensuring a safe and fair working environment. These are among our top priorities. We handle formal complaints according to strict confidentiality standards and maintain high accountability in all processes.

Steps we have taken

We have fully acknowledged that there was a crisis within our Global Secretariat (GWPO) in 2022-2023, which impacted both our work environment and funding. However, since then, we have made significant improvements that were not reflected in the article:

Governance and accountability: In response to the KPMG audit, we implemented comprehensive reforms to strengthen governance and accountability.
Organizational strengthening: These reforms were already in progress before the audit, helping us recover from the challenges and build a stronger, more resilient organisation.
Financial stability: Our funding situation has stabilized, and our current and former partners have expressed confidence in GWP’s renewed direction.

Whistleblower allegations and staff cuts

We take whistleblower concerns seriously and have established formal, independent channels for complaints. Regarding staff cuts in 2023, these decisions were made based on financial constraints and the need to restructure, not as retaliation against whistleblowers. These actions were necessary to ensure the organization’s sustainability.

Achievements despite challenges

Despite the difficulties of 2022-2023, GWP has continued to deliver significant results globally. Our 2023 Annual Report highlights the many successes achieved by our network in addressing critical water management challenges worldwide, even during the period of crisis.

Commitment to transparency and dialogue

We remain committed to transparency and dialogue with our partners, employees, and stakeholders. GWP continues to act with integrity and accountability at all levels. We welcome constructive feedback and remain focused on our mission of ensuring water security worldwide.

We hope future reporting will provide a more balanced and accurate reflection of GWP’s work and achievements.

This is our response to the first article in the series, published on 15 October 2024. We will continue to provide clarifications and responses as needed in response to further articles from SvD.

Page last edited: 10/17/2024