Gathering around 150 partners and GWP staff from 56 countries, the theme of the meeting was “Implementing the GWP Strategy 2009‐2013” with the main purpose to adopt and monitor the strategic direction of the Network as well as to receive and comment on the annual activity and financial reports.
Strategic goals 1, 2 and 3; climate change; the GWP technical function; regional experiences and projects; how to mainstream IWRM into national development planning; transboundary water issues; water and economics; water laws and research to support GWP key messages; fundraising and strategic allies were topics discussed and generated a lively debate among active partners and GWP representatives. The participants worked in plenary sessions as well as in smaller workshop groups.
Presenters and panellists included the GWP Technical Committee member Mike Muller, senior advisor Khalid Mohtadullah, regional coordinators Simon Thuo and Vadim Sokolov, Programme Officer Alex Simalabwi, and representatives from Cap-Net, SIWI, GEF, WMO and IWMI. GWP Chair Dr. Letitia A Obeng opened the meeting saying that “ In order to reach out, we have to engage with people who are not water people and engage with those who work and rely on water!” “The dynamic partnerships and the GWP network of partners is what makes GWP unique, Dr Obeng said. “We need to cooperate to fulfil our union and vision for a water secure world in which there is availability of an acceptable quantity and quality of water for health, livelihoods, ecosystems and production, coupled with an acceptable level of water‐related risks to people, environments and economics.”
Dr Obeng also mentioned climate change as one key area for GWP to work with: “We have to build resilience through water security, and building water security is about building our future together”, Letitia A Obeng said. “Better water management is key to climate change adaptation, we will learn how to live with climate change.”
The values of GWP were prominent at the meeting: We are a multistakeholder organisation that works on all levels. We are objective and impartial, we are supporting dialogue across different sectors an various interest groups. We provide a neural platform for dialogue and supportive action. We strive for inclusiveness, openness, transparency, accountability respect, gender sensitivity and solidarity. We are about serving people, contributing to poverty reduction, and we are about technical excellence. We provide knowledge and help build capacity to improve water management at all levels: global, transboundary, regional, national and local. We have the flexibility to work at all levels, global, regional, country, local. We work to find the best solution for a particular situation. We generate, provide and disseminate knowledge.
GWP is celebrating its 13th year of existence. It is still growing and needs to evolve in order to embrace the new challenges we face. We have to better focus on our target groups, youth is the leaders of tomorrow, parliamentarians, target the right decision-makers.
Knowledge management and communication are key to fulfilling the mission of GWP who also needs to develop further cooperation with strategic allies in order to deliver. Fundraising is furthermore one important ingredient to success.
GWP Executive Secretary Dr Ania Grobicki said that the “accountability and transparency that GWP stands for has created a basis of trust”. GWP has a strong team that is working to deliver in this current strategy period “our reputation is our capital!”. GWP must continue being close to the development agenda, and even part of developing it. Dr Grobicki concluded by saying that she is looking forward to cooperate in the coming period “We are going forward together! We are moving into a period of stress related to climate change, and now more than ever, we need to continue showing engagement, linking with partners and stakeholders and acting with integrity.”
For the first time in GWP’s history, the Consulting Partners meeting was broadcast using live streaming online.
Presentations and supporting documents as well as the full agenda and list of participants are available.