News
Marseille, France, 8 April 2019 - The World Water Council has recently been on the forefront of the international stage, meeting with leaders worldwide and advocating intensely for water to be put at the heart of political priorities.
During a three-week ‘water marathon’ which started at the OECD headquarters in Paris with Secretary-General Angel Gurria, and included a meeting with IMF’s Christine Lagarde in Washington, the Council has been engaging actively with Heads of State and major international organizations to ensure the voice of water is heard by the highest political decision makers.
“Water is politics” were the words of President Loic Fauchon in Beirut yesterday. Through these actions, the Council aims to bolster the recognition of water as a worldwide priority and catalyze action in tackling the urgency of preserving the resource.
The efforts are ongoing as the Council’s 68th Board meeting is currently being held under the auspices of the Lebanese Government in Beirut.
WWC signs joint agreement with OECD
Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and WWC President Loic Fauchon, OECD Headquarters, Paris, France, 22 March 2019. The Council President was in Paris on World Water Day to put the final signature to the joint agreement with the OECD on the “Governance and Economics of Water Security for Sustainable Development in Africa”. The program aims to produce new data, evidence and policy guidance on water security in Africa.
Christine Lagarde receives WWC Presidents
During World Bank Water Week in Washington DC, the Council’s President, Loic Fauchon, and Honorary President, Benedito Braga, were received by Managing Director and Chair of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, to discuss intersectoral water financing, governance and pricing reform. The meeting was held at the IMF Headquarters in Washington DC, 4 April 2019.
WWC Bureau members meet Prime Minister of Lebanon
World Water Council Bureau members met Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, at Government Headquarters, as part of the Council’s 68th Board of Governors meeting, on 8 April 2019. The Council invited the Lebanese Government to participate in the World Water Council’s activities and the upcoming 9th World Water Forum, to be held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2021.
Photos credits: OECD, WWC, WWC
“Water is Politics”: WWC’s marathon to mobilize political will
In the run-up to and during World Water Day, the World Water Council engaged in multiple outreach activities to ensure that the Council’s main messages were broadly heard throughout the annual celebrations with a solid media presence and strong visibility.
The efforts were rewarded with a number of articles in major national and regional French outlets. To mark the day, several French newspapers published dedicated OpEds by the Council’s President Loic Fauchon. The President was also interviewed by radio channels during prime airing time on 22 March.
On a local basis, in order to participate in awareness-raising efforts in Marseille, where the Council’s headquarters are located, an advertisement was printed in the main local and regional newspaper La Provence drawing attention to this year’s UN theme ‘Leave no-one behind’ and targeting local audiences.
World Water Day celebrations are a key annual event that catalyzes worldwide attention towards the importance of preserving and securing water.
