Leads for new governance

A panel of experts makes recommendations for the construction of global governance on water for future discussions of Rio + 20.

"All international documents on water management have limitations. Rio + 20 will allow revising them" says Vicente Andreu, President of the National Water Agency of Brazil. A panel of experts met 13 March  to discuss ways to build a global water governance to better identify and address the challenges of climate change and water resources issues.

Commissioner of the Delta of the Netherlands, Wim Kuijken appealed on history to discuss the evolution of water management in the Netherlands. Over time, the approach has become globalised in the interests of efficiency. It is henceforth a national policy, but a new law on the Delta soon will change this mode to further enhance the quality of its governance.

In Brazil, Vicente Andreu explained that water management is not of economics but of politics. With other panel members, he pointed to some weaknesses of international governance, under the water convention of the United Nations of 1997. According to them, the major difficulties come from the absolute national sovereignty of states, regional and international dimensions, the non-ratification of the Convention by some countries or the obligations of conventions towards the countries.

Suggestions for improvement

To improve global governance, participants suggested creating an international panel on water management. Francisco Nunes Correia, Portuguese President of the Partnership for Water, proposes the implementation of a global agenda to move progressively to its introduction. Vicente Andreu supports the proposal to strengthen the Council of Sustainable Development, referred to by the French Prime Minister at the opening ceremony of the forum. For his part, Wim Kuijken rather prefers a horizontal organisation of water management as well as a greater harmonisation of different levels of governance within states.