International Conference on Freshwater,
Bonn, 3. - 7. December 2001 - Final Report

On Friday, 7 December 2001, the International Conference on Freshwater, which was jointly organised by the Federal Environment Ministry and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as a part of the run-up to Johannesburg drew to a very successful close. The motto of the Conference was "Water - a Key to Sustainable Development", and the German government's invitation to attend the 5-day Conference in the International Congress Centre Bundeshaus Bonn was accepted by about 1400 participants (800 delegates and 600 observers). They represented 118 countries, 47 international organisations and 73 organisations of different social groups. Ministers headed 46 of the delegations. The Conference submitted the Bonn Recommendations for Action, which have been recommended for adoption at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The main statements of the Recommendations for Action are summarised in the so-called Bonn Keys. In addition, the ministers attending the Conference adopted a ministerial declaration.

The outcome of the Conference highlighted once again the close link between access to clean water, the fight against poverty and sustainable development. Attempts to underline the connection between clean water, poverty and health were, however, successful. Not only is water the number one form of sustenance, it also forms the basis for economic development and plays a substantial role in the fight against poverty. Particular progress was made in the areas of cost recovery in water supply, increased involvement of private industry, the growing importance of cooperation in transboundary water bodies for mutual benefit and in highlighting the need for decentralisation and the increased participation of women especially.

Resource-efficient, careful and fair water management also plays a role in avoiding conflict.

Bonn Recommendations for Action

Compared to previous Conferences and documents, particular progress was made in the following areas:

• The principle that water is a public good was confirmed; water must not be privatised as a resource. The state must regulate water supply and protect resources. This does not mean, however, that water supply should be government run. Governments must lay down the regulatory framework for the water sector and ensure this framework is complied with through monitoring or efficient regulation. There was still, however, disagreement as to whether there is a human right or basic right to water or whether there ought to be an independent human right to water.
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• Public Private Partnerships (PPP) will gain importance for the water infrastructure. In this the various forms of PPP and the various forms of enterprise (ranging from cooperatives of local companies to international concerns) must be regulated and monitored (benchmarking).
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• For the first time, the principle of the necessary cost recovery for the water infrastructure will be laid down in an appropriate document. Fulfilling this principle should not, however, prevent the poor from having access to drinking water; in such there should rather be tariff systems and/or transparent subsidies for the poor.
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• Another new point in an outcome document for a water conference was that a whole chapter was dedicated to the topic of combating corruption. The starting point for the fight against corruption should be transparency in the decision-making processes. Both bribery and the acceptance of bribes must be condemned. The chapter expressly encourages the use of codes of conduct and the private sector's announcement that it would draw up a code of conduct directed against corruption and bribery was welcomed.
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• The debate on transboundary water bodies has evolved into the question of how cooperation on transboundary water bodies can increase the mutual benefits for all the riparian states. This is definitely a positive development, and Germany's many years of active involvement in this matter (Petersberg Round Table) certainly played a role in bringing it about. The negotiations on the text, however, revealed that there are still a number of different jurisprudence forms involved regarding the use of terms ("international or transboundary rivers") and countries remain concerned about interference in their internal affairs.
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• Emphasis is placed on the importance of wastewater management for health and for the fight against poverty. The Recommendations advocate an "international development target", similar to the stated goal for water supply in the Millennium Declaration.
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• Greater stress than in the past was laid on the importance of protecting the ecosystems connected with water. These ecosystems have a positive impact on the protection of rivers, lakes, groundwater and coastal waters, and thus play a role in improving sources of livelihood.

From the beginning, the Conference preparations emphasised the value of transparency and broad public participation. The "Bonn Recommendations for Action " were developed in preparation for the International Conference on Freshwater with the active involvement of the International Steering Committee- which met four times in 2000/2001. The draft Recommendations could then be viewed in the Internet over one month prior to the start of the Conference (www.water-2001.de). Many comments were taken into consideration in the revision. The Recommendations were intensively debated by Conference working groups on the various topics and on the fourth day of the Conference - in some cases to the level of the individual wordings. It is notable here that both representatives of UN Member States and international organisations and representatives from various social groups (so-called Major Groups ) were actively and equally involved in developing the Recommendations.

The Bonn Keys
The main statements of the Bonn Recommendations for Action are clarified in the Bonn Keys. The five keys, which are also found in the Recommendations, are:

• water security needs, which are of central importance for the poor
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• decentralisation is key; national policy meets community needs
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• new innovative partnerships can improve water supply
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• cooperation between different water users, in harmony with nature is vital - this also applies to transboundary water bodies
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• stronger and better governance arrangements are of central importance for water, under responsibility of governments

Ministerial Declaration
The ministerial declaration confirms, inter alia, international development goals and formulates priority need for action in the following areas:

• Governance: governments bear responsibility for correct and sustainable water management. Private sector and civil society are expressly called upon to cooperate with the state. Private sector participation does not mean privatisation of water. Cooperation in transboundary water bodies must be strengthened.
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• Funding Gap: in order to close funding gaps, additional financial resources are necessary from all sources (public budgets, capital markets, community based finance, charges and an increased official development assistance). Combating poverty and improving trade opportunities, particularly for least developed countries, are central elements in closing funding gaps. In a separate point, the role of international cooperation is underlined (improved coordination in the UN system and a 0.7% ODA target).
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• Capacity Building and Technology Transfer: besides the familiar voluntary commitments, emphasis is also placed, inter alia, on the support and use of innovative and traditional water management.
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• Gender: stress is laid on considering the various roles of man and woman in planning and deciding on water infrastructure. The fact that the Ministerial Declaration mentions gender as one of five fields of action should be underlined as a positive step.

Plenary Sessions "Multi Stakeholder Dialogue" and "Gender"; Working Groups and side events

The one-day Multi Stakeholder Dialogue (MSD) was very well received. It involved delegations from countries and international organisations which held lively debates with representatives from major groups, conducted by a facilitator. The question of access to and protection of water and the financing of water infrastructure was discussed. In contrast to the MSD known from UN circles, there was surprisingly open debate.
The dialogue continued with a well-attended plenary session on "gender". The debate between delegates from governments, international organisations and representatives of major groups were very constructive and stimulating. Analysis specific to gender role, as well as participative planning and decision-making is crucial to the water sector; the participation and involvement of women must be improved.The three Working Groups on Governance, Finance and Capacity Development met during five meetings which continued for over one day. There were more than 30 lectures and presentations on individual topics which were followed in some cases with very lively discussions. The findings of the Multi-stakeholder dialogue, the plenary session on gender and the working groups were presented at the general assembly and were included in the revision of the draft Bonn Recommendations for Action.There were about 45 side events, and an exhibition in the foyer of the plenary hall which were all well visited.

Summary
The Conference can be judged to be an important step on the road towards the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg - both in relation to the results achieved and with regard to the open and constructive atmosphere which developed between the industrialised and developing countries, the international organisations and the representatives from major groups. This is owing particularly to the format of the Conference, which, unlike in the case of most UN Conferences, for instance, allowed the main conference document, the Bonn Recommendations for Action to be discussed in a joint meeting of government delegations, major groups and international organisations. It should be emphasised that the representatives of civil society highly welcomed both the opportunities to participate and the outcome of the Conference itself. For the further success of the Conference, it will be important to implement the Recommendations for Action in specific measures as soon as possible.