World Water Forum
Marseille 2012
Introduction
During a whole week in Marseille, from 12 to 17 March 2012, the 6th World Water Forum brought together stakeholders from all over the world: participants representing over 173 countries attended this international triennial event, for which nearly 35,000 entries were recorded. Over 250 sessions on topics ranging from transboundary water management to green growth or food security were discussed. Some of the world’s most influential decision makers for water were present.
Held in the very city where the World Water Council is headquartered, this event felt special to the members of our organisation. It was the occasion to showcase why Marseille was the ideal city to centralise the World Water Council actions, as water is at the heart of this city, the 2nd most populated in France.
After the success of the 5th World Water Forum held in Turkey, which led to the promising Istanbul Water Consensus, the city of Marseille chose to place practical responses to water and sanitation challenges at the centre of discussions. More than 1,400 solutions were collected on the interactive platform solutionsforwater.org, ensuring that the event’s legacy would live on beyond the week in Marseille (nonetheless, the platform is no longer available as of August 2025).
6th World Water Forum: “Time For Solutions”
Under the theme “Time for Solutions”, the Marseille Forum marked a turning point by moving beyond debate to concrete action and measurable commitments. More than 1,400 solutions were collected on the interactive platform solutionsforwater.org, ensuring that the event’s legacy would live on beyond the week in Marseille.
Four main processes structured the Forum:
- A Political Process, bringing together ministers, parliamentarians, local and regional authorities and fostering high-level roundtables.
- A Thematic Process, focused on strategic directions around well-being, economic development, ecosystems and governance.
- A Regional Process, with dialogues across Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Arab countries and the Mediterranean.
- A Grassroots and Citizenship Process, giving voice to youth, women, NGOs and local communities.
A central innovation was the Village of Solutions, an open and interactive space showcasing over 100 concrete projects, technologies and governance models from around the world.
“This Forum is the Forum of Solutions. We must prove that our debates are not only words but lead to concrete actions that change the daily lives of people.”
Highlights of the 6th World Water Forum
An important political commitment
The Forum gathered 15 heads of state and government, 112 ministers and secretaries of state, and 176 national delegations, demonstrating water’s rise on the global political agenda. The Ministerial Declaration, adopted by 145 countries, was the most ambitious yet in Forum history at that time. It reaffirmed the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation and called for accelerating access in line with UN resolutions. It also emphasised water’s role in energy and food security, economic growth, and job creation.
A strong emphasis on the importance of solutions
A defining feature of the 6th Forum was the transition from solutions to commitments. Over 100 commitments were announced during the event, ranging from international initiatives to grassroots pledges. Nearly 1,500 solutions have been collected. From low-cost technologies to global policy framework proposals, the platform gathers a wide range of tailored solutions for every target addressed during the Forum.
The Village of Solutions
Run largely by youth, the Village provided a human and interactive dimension to the Forum, encouraging direct exchanges between innovators, decision-makers, and citizens. In addition, a new commission was created for the 6th World Water Forum: the Grassroots & Citizenship Commission, involving and mobilising civil society representatives and raising awareness among citizens to ensure a stronghold in local, national, regional and international realities. The commission focused on four main groups consisting of NGOs, women, youth and the cultural aspects related to water.
What can we learn from this forum ?
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What can we remember from this forum?
By gathering more than 1,400 solutions and over 100 formal commitments, the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille shifted the World Water Forum model from dialogue toward measurable impact. Based on its multi-stakeholder framework, the 6th World Water Forum’s objective was to identify targets, bring solutions and ask for commitments involving experts and decision-makers from different sectors and regions of the world. Through the high-level sessions, in-depth dialogues gathered around the same table: Heads of States, ministers and representatives from intergovernmental organisations, civil society, private sector, academia and local officials. These high-level meetings focused on various topics, including global water governance, water and food security and the anticipated outputs of Rio+20 regarding water and sanitation.
The 6th Forum Thematic Process Framework was built according to 3 strategic directions – Well-being, Economic development, Keep the planet blue – in which were embedded 12 key priorities for action and 3 conditions for success. More than 250 sessions brought stakeholders together to find answers to the identified targets and major thematic issues were addressed through key sessions, such as Water and Energy, Green Growth or the Implementation of the Right to Water.
- The Regional Processes identified priorities, targets and solutions on the African continent, in the Americas, the Asia-Pacific zone and Europe by engaging with multiple stakeholders. At the same time, the Mediterranean and the Arab countries cross-continental processes broadened the debate and built bridges between decision makers.
- The Water Debates offered thought-provoking grounds to build bridges between polarised viewpoints. The delicate questions of private/public involvement in the provision of water and sanitation services and the role of water storage in view of climate change were addressed.
- The Commitments Session assembled many Forum stakeholders during a large dynamic and interactive plenary to present their commitments. It gave voice to the full range of commitments made and highlighted both the themes and regions addressed throughout the Forum week.
The ministerial sessions consisted of 12 roundtables and one conference, which led to a consensual Ministerial Declaration providing many recommendations for furthering the international water agenda, including Rio+20. During 6 ministerial sessions, governments worldwide gathered to identify needs and objectives and produced the Ministerial Declaration, the recommendations of which will serve to shape the international water agenda. The Ministerial Declaration advanced international consensus on the right to water and sanitation, while the parliamentary, local, and grassroots processes reinforced multi-level governance.
The Parliamentary Process in Marseille gathered over 250 parliamentarians from around the world, making it the largest such assembly in Forum history. Their debates resulted in the Parliamentarians’ Manifesto, which underlined the decisive role of legislative bodies in ensuring the realization of the human right to water and sanitation. The Manifesto called on parliaments to pass and strengthen laws that guarantee access, improve governance of water services, and secure sustainable financing. It also highlighted water’s role in poverty alleviation, economic development, and conflict prevention, stressing the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in managing transboundary resources. A key innovation was the proposal for a Water Legislation Helpdesk, designed as a global knowledge-sharing tool to support legislators with model laws, case studies, and technical expertise. This Manifesto, meant to inform both national debates and the upcoming Rio+20 negotiations, demonstrated the growing recognition that effective water governance requires the active engagement of parliaments worldwide.
In Marseille, 350 local and regional authorities from five continents convened for the 3rd International Conference of Local and Regional Authorities for Water. Building on the Istanbul Water Consensus (2009), which had already gathered over 1,000 signatories, they renewed their commitments through a Local and Regional Authorities Declaration. The Declaration emphasized the frontline role of cities and regions in delivering water and sanitation services, adapting infrastructure to climate change, and managing rapid urbanization. It highlighted the importance of solidarity and decentralized cooperation, calling on local governments to mobilize resources, develop action plans, and establish measurable targets to monitor progress. Champion Cities presented examples of innovative practices, demonstrating how local action can drive global change. The Marseille Declaration reinforced that solutions to water challenges are not only global or national but must also be rooted in strong, accountable, and well-resourced local governance.
The political involvement had never been as important, specifically the contributions and commitments made from local governments and parliamentarians, to either improve their practices by signing the Istanbul Water Consensus or making the right to water a legal reality. In addition to strong political involvement, 3,500 NGOs joined the movement and civil society representatives, women’s associations and youth organisations were all present at the table. Furthermore, 2,600 schoolchildren came to discover and understand the importance of preserving the world’s water resources. This political commitment was also displayed through ambitious declarations: African Ministers of Finance and Water pledged to finance the African Water Facility; the Latin American Alliance for Water Funds committed USD 27 million to establish at least 32 Water Funds across the region; youth organisations launched the Youth Water Movement to connect initiatives and strengthen intergenerational collaboration; and 69 basin organisations signed the Global Pact for Improved Basin Management.
Preparations for the 6th Forum mobilised an unprecedented number of stakeholders. Over 1,000 organisations contributed to designing thematic targets, regional consultations, and grassroots participation. The strong involvement of French institutions, the World Water Council, and international partners ensured that the Forum would not only be a gathering space but also a launching pad for commitments and monitoring mechanisms.
One of the most emblematic innovations of the 6th World Water Forum was the Village of Solutions, designed as a dynamic and participatory space where visitors could engage directly with real-world responses to water challenges. Organised around thematic zones such as the Library of Knowledge, the Factory of Technologies, the Bank of Financing Mechanisms, the School of Capacity Building, and the City Hall of Governance, the Village showcased more than 100 concrete projects selected from over 1,400 proposals submitted worldwide. It became a living demonstration of how policy, science, civil society, and business could converge around practical solutions, from simple community-based innovations such as the Hippo Roller for water transport, to international financing frameworks like the Oudin-Santini law on decentralised cooperation. Animated largely by youth, the Village also symbolised intergenerational solidarity and the commitment to bridge ideas with action. By attracting tens of thousands of participants, the Village of Solutions made the Forum’s ambition tangible: to move decisively from debate to implementation. Through the Platform of Solutions and the Village of Solutions, Marseille left a tangible legacy that extended beyond the Forum week, providing tools, networks, and inspiration for ongoing action.
A strong political commitment, from a Ministerial Declaration to concrete pledges
The ministerial sessions consisted of 12 roundtables and one conference, which led to a consensual Ministerial Declaration providing many recommendations for furthering the international water agenda, including Rio+20. During 6 ministerial sessions, governments worldwide gathered to identify needs and objectives and produced the Ministerial Declaration, the recommendations of which will serve to shape the international water agenda. The Ministerial Declaration advanced international consensus on the right to water and sanitation, while the parliamentary, local, and grassroots processes reinforced multi-level governance.
The Parliamentary Process in Marseille gathered over 250 parliamentarians from around the world, making it the largest such assembly in Forum history. Their debates resulted in the Parliamentarians’ Manifesto, which underlined the decisive role of legislative bodies in ensuring the realization of the human right to water and sanitation. The Manifesto called on parliaments to pass and strengthen laws that guarantee access, improve governance of water services, and secure sustainable financing. It also highlighted water’s role in poverty alleviation, economic development, and conflict prevention, stressing the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in managing transboundary resources. A key innovation was the proposal for a Water Legislation Helpdesk, designed as a global knowledge-sharing tool to support legislators with model laws, case studies, and technical expertise. This Manifesto, meant to inform both national debates and the upcoming Rio+20 negotiations, demonstrated the growing recognition that effective water governance requires the active engagement of parliaments worldwide.
In Marseille, 350 local and regional authorities from five continents convened for the 3rd International Conference of Local and Regional Authorities for Water. Building on the Istanbul Water Consensus (2009), which had already gathered over 1,000 signatories, they renewed their commitments through a Local and Regional Authorities Declaration. The Declaration emphasized the frontline role of cities and regions in delivering water and sanitation services, adapting infrastructure to climate change, and managing rapid urbanization. It highlighted the importance of solidarity and decentralized cooperation, calling on local governments to mobilize resources, develop action plans, and establish measurable targets to monitor progress. Champion Cities presented examples of innovative practices, demonstrating how local action can drive global change. The Marseille Declaration reinforced that solutions to water challenges are not only global or national but must also be rooted in strong, accountable, and well-resourced local governance.
The political involvement had never been as important, specifically the contributions and commitments made from local governments and parliamentarians, to either improve their practices by signing the Istanbul Water Consensus or making the right to water a legal reality. In addition to strong political involvement, 3,500 NGOs joined the movement and civil society representatives, women’s associations and youth organisations were all present at the table. Furthermore, 2,600 schoolchildren came to discover and understand the importance of preserving the world’s water resources. This political commitment was also displayed through ambitious declarations: African Ministers of Finance and Water pledged to finance the African Water Facility; the Latin American Alliance for Water Funds committed USD 27 million to establish at least 32 Water Funds across the region; youth organisations launched the Youth Water Movement to connect initiatives and strengthen intergenerational collaboration; and 69 basin organisations signed the Global Pact for Improved Basin Management.
The Village of Solutions
Preparations for the 6th Forum mobilised an unprecedented number of stakeholders. Over 1,000 organisations contributed to designing thematic targets, regional consultations, and grassroots participation. The strong involvement of French institutions, the World Water Council, and international partners ensured that the Forum would not only be a gathering space but also a launching pad for commitments and monitoring mechanisms.
One of the most emblematic innovations of the 6th World Water Forum was the Village of Solutions, designed as a dynamic and participatory space where visitors could engage directly with real-world responses to water challenges. Organised around thematic zones such as the Library of Knowledge, the Factory of Technologies, the Bank of Financing Mechanisms, the School of Capacity Building, and the City Hall of Governance, the Village showcased more than 100 concrete projects selected from over 1,400 proposals submitted worldwide. It became a living demonstration of how policy, science, civil society, and business could converge around practical solutions, from simple community-based innovations such as the Hippo Roller for water transport, to international financing frameworks like the Oudin-Santini law on decentralised cooperation. Animated largely by youth, the Village also symbolised intergenerational solidarity and the commitment to bridge ideas with action. By attracting tens of thousands of participants, the Village of Solutions made the Forum’s ambition tangible: to move decisively from debate to implementation. Through the Platform of Solutions and the Village of Solutions, Marseille left a tangible legacy that extended beyond the Forum week, providing tools, networks, and inspiration for ongoing action.
Feedback on the implementation of the event
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