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10 years of progress with the FWP!

Update 2017-12-22

SPOTLIGHT ON THE “SMALL WATER CYCLE”
2007 – 2012

 

International negotiations took a particular interest in the domestic water circuit or “small water cycle”, which starts with access to the drinking water supply, followed by access to basic sanitation (toilets).

2008:

International Year of Sanitation, marking the start of strong mobilization in the international community to raise awareness of this previously taboo issue.  

FWP’s action Encouraged looking at sanitation from A to Z (collection, transport and treatment) and not just access to toilets.  

2009:

 The declaration made by the heads of state and ministers at the World Water Forum in Istanbul recognized:

  • Wastewater treatment as a global priority;
  • The new principle of financing water services with the 3Ts (Tariffs, Taxes, Transfers);
  • The crucial role played by local and regional authorities.

FWP’s action At this Forum, FWP developed a strong lobby on these issues, supported the voice of NGOs, and ensured that numerous communities were able to attend.

2010: 

Access to drinking water and sanitation was recognized as a human right by the United Nations.

FWP’s action Since its creation, FWP has strongly supported the right to water, leading to its recognition in French legislation, and has worked to persuade France to vote for the global recognition of this right.

2012:

The United Nations published a report declaring that the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to halve the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water had been reached ahead of the deadline (2015).

FWP’s action In reality, although access to water had been greatly increased, not all of that water was of good quality. FWP lobbied to establish the truth on the figures announced: 2 billion people in the world, and not 830 million, do not have access to safe drinking water.

 

FWP equipped itself with a proper legal structure

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INTERNATIONAL OPENING OUT TO THE “LARGE WATER CYCLE”

 

On the international scene, the vision of water challenges gradually extended to encompass resources and pollution. Water should not only be considered in relation to its uses, i.e. water for domestic needs, agriculture, industry, energy and nature, etc., but should also be observed in relation to climate and humanitarian emergencies. This is the “large water cycle” vision.

2012:

The declaration of heads of state and ministers at the World Water Forum in Marseille recognized that policies on water, agriculture and energy should be coherent. States committed to a follow-up process called the “solutions for water platform”.

FWP’s action French water stakeholders made commitments and FWP ensured the follow-up, which it published on its website. FWP also promoted a publication compiling 40 “water and agriculture” solutions in 20 countries published by the French Ministry for Agriculture.

For the first time, the theme of wastewater management was included in an international UN resolution at the Rio+20 Summit.  
 

FWP’s action This was the result of lobbying by FWP and the international community at the previous World Water Forum in Marseille.

 

2014:  

The 1997 United Nations Convention on managing transboundary water basins finally came into force.  

FWP’s action FWP had been lobbying for several years to make water the object of sharing and cooperation. 

Two major international meetings were organized in France, in Lyon on the connections between water and energy, and in Colombes on wastewater management.  

FWP’s action FWP and its members were closely involved in organizing these events.  

2015: 

The declaration of heads of state and ministers at the World Water Forum in Korea called for water to be a priority in the Sustainable Development Goals and climate negotiations.

FWP’s action FWP participated in negotiations and supported the representatives of France and other countries.

 

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WATER KEY TO IMPLEMENTING DECISIVE NEW INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS IN 2015 AND BEYOND  

 

The international vision of water issues started to become coherent, complete and balanced. Ambitious policies saw the day. Major road books on sustainable development emerged, all including the major water issues in their global-scale execution. The actors and tools for implementing these major agreements were progressively being put into place.

2015:

Management of water-related risks was included in the UN’s Sendai declaration on disaster risk reduction.

FWP’s action FWP members involved in emergencies, reconstruction and development were active on this issue.

The 2030 Agenda featuring 17 Sustainable Development Goals was adopted by the United Nations; Goal 6 was devoted to water and sanitation: it was ambitious, with a global vision of the challenges and precise targets.   

FWP’s action Mobilized numerous international actors through its member network. In France, it encouraged the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to champion this cause, with the result that in 2014 the ministry jointly signed a text with 57 countries in favour of a Goal devoted to Water.

Paris COP21: the Paris Climate Agreement recognized adapting to climate change, a crucial matter for water, at the same level as reducing greenhouse gases.

FWP’s action Drove a series of “water and climate” commitments by non-state actors (water basins, cities, companies) to accompany the implementation of the Paris Agreement.  

FWP was also at the origin of the international campaign #Climateiswater to give water a stronger presence in international discussions on climate change.   

2016:

The United Nations Statistical Commission adopted an indicator integrating a measurement of the non-contamination of drinking water.

FWP’s action FWP has worked for several years on precise and ambitious indicators in this domain.

The French inter-ministerial committee for international cooperation and development decided to give a significant place to the issues of water and sanitation, including the creation of a multi-annual strategy for this sector. 

 

FWP’s action NGO members of FWP actively contributed to this decision.