The 7th World Water Forum on the theme of “Water for Our Future” took place from 12 to 17 April 2015 in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea.

The OECD Secretary-General, Mr. Angel Gurría, chaired several high-level panels and the OECD actively participated through a series of events, the launch of four new reports and by taking part in a number of workshops and seminars throughout the forum. ‌

• 7th World Water Forum: Opening Remarks by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General, Korea, April 2015

Spotlight

Monday 13 April, 11:20-13:20
DEC_303, DAEGU – EXCO,  3F Room 306 l WWF event page

This session, under the auspices of the Secretary-General Angel Gurría, provided for a high-level multi-stakeholder consultation on OECD’s 12 Principles on Water Governance. These were built on the premises that one size does not fit all, and call upon governments and stakeholders to pay greater attention to who does what, at which level, why, and how, to better design and implement tangible and outcome-oriented public policies that can cope with current and future water challenges.

• OECD Principles on Water Governance: Opening remarks by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General

Contact:  Aziza Akhmouch (aziza.akhmouch@oecd.org)

• Water Governance Sessions

Monday 13 April, 14:40-16:40
DEC_502, DAEGU – EXCO, 5F Auditorium l WWF event page

This panel set out clear objectives and stirred the dialogue on the role of infrastructure to ensure water security, by looking into the necessary financial resources, the means to generate them, and the enabling environment. The panel was chaired by the OECD Secretary-General, Mr. Angel Gurría and had high-level members from governments, international agencies, private sector, NGO community and academia.

• High-Level Panel on Infrastructure Financing for a water secure world: Opening statement by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General

Contact: Xavier Leflaive (xavier.leflaive@oecd.org)

Monday 13 April, 14:40-16:40
DEC_303, DAEGU – EXCO, 3F Room 306 l WWF event page

This session aimed to pave the way for implementing and monitoring action-oriented stakeholder engagement in the water sector, and provided a platform for showcasing success stories and innovative tools for inclusive decision-making on water, highlighting their replicable potential.

Contact:  Aziza Akhmouch (aziza.akhmouch@oecd.org)

• Water Governance Sessions

                                                                                      High-Level Panel on Water Security and Sustainable Growth

Monday 13 April, 17:00-19:00
DEC_502, DAEGU – EXCO, 5F Auditorium l WWF event page

A milestone report Securing Water, Sustaining Growth and a Policy Statement calling for enhanced action was released and discussed by a High-Level Panel of Vice Presidents, Ministers, and representatives of the Asian Development Bank, NGOs, and the business sector, under the chairmanship of Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, Chair, GWP and Mr. Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General. 

• Policy Priorities for a Water Secure World: Remarks by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General                                                           

Contact: Xavier Leflaive (xavier.leflaive@oecd.org)

Policy Statement on ‘Water Security for Sustainable Economic Growth’

                                                                                                  OECD Side Event on Water and Cities

Monday 13 April, 19:10-20:10
DAEGU – EXCO, 3F Room 315 l WWF event page

Responses to the new water challenges cities are facing in OECD countries combine finance, innovation, co-operation between cities and their rural environment, and governance arrangements. Drawing on new work and extensive consultation on these and related issues, Mr. Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General teased out policy messages that emerge from successful urban water management initiatives taken by cities and governments.  Panellists shared their perspective, from a central government, city, regulator or civil society point of view.

• OECD Side Event on Water and Cities: Opening remarks by Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General

Contact: Xavier Leflaive (xavier.leflaive@oecd.org)

Wednesday 15 April, 11:20-13:20
EXCO, 3F Room 325AC l WWF event page

One cannot improve what cannot be measured. This session consisted of a panel to draw lessons from existing attempts at assessing the effectiveness of water governance instruments, and proposed a tentative holistic framework for water governance indicators that can contribute to the implementation of a potential dedicated Sustainable Development Goal on Water in 2015.

Contact:  Aziza Akhmouch (aziza.akhmouch@oecd.org)

• Water Governance Sessions 

• 7th World Water Forum Korea (host country website)
• OECD work on water
• Water: Towards a brighter future, OECD Observer special edition on water, April 2015