Green Cross International was represented by Dr. Bertrand Charrier, Prof. Laurence Boisson de Chazournes and Fiona Curtin.

• The World Water Vision at Stockholm

The World Water Commission was created at the 1998 Stockholm Water Symposium. Its aim is to draw attention to the widespread mismanagement of water resources and develop a widely shared integrative World Water Vision to address and avert the impending water crisis facing many regions. If we continue our present practices, 60 countries will be suffering from severe water stress by 2025, causing serious health, security, environmental and economic problems. The Vision is therefore looking toward the future for ways to change this prognosis by prompting a re-evaluation of policy and behaviour regarding water and water-related activities.

The First Phase of the Vision exercise was presented and discussed at the Stockholm Water Symposium 9-12 August 1999. The Final Report will be presented at the 2nd World Water Forum in The Hague in March 2000. The "Vision to Action" process was also discussed in Stockholm, and will be ongoing.

The Vision exercise consists of: Thematic Panels on energy, information, telecommunications, biotechnology and institutional change; Scenario Development; Sector Consultations on Water for Food; Water for People; Water for Nature; Sub-sector Consultations on Tourism, Hydropower, River Regulations, and Gender Mainstreaming; Regional Consultations of cross-sections of people in 20 regions preparing a vision of their desired socio-economic future; and the High Level Panel on National Sovereignty and International Waters.

Each of these components, which are the responsibility of a host of NGOs, institutions and experts, was presented at the Symposium, first to the Members of the World Water Commission and subsequently in workshops and discussion groups. The Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Ismail Serageldin, presented the overall Vision to the Plenary Session of the Symposium on Tuesday August 10th.

• Green Cross International at Stockholm

The Stockholm Water Symposium was of paramount importance for GCI in its role as coordinator of the "Sovereignty Panel". Following months of communication, this was the first time that the team from GCI was able to meet the Panel Members in person; and was the only time that the Panel would have the chance to meet and discuss the question of how to share the world's international watercourses. The Panel was established from among the Honourary Members of the World Water Commission, it includes the Hon. Mikhail Gorbachev (chairman), the Hon. Ingvar Carlsson, the Hon. Sir Ketumile Masire, and the Hon. Fidel Ramos. Unfortunately, Mr. Gorbachev was unable to be present at Stockholm; a meeting with him on this issue was held in Moscow in July. GCI prepared a discussion paper for the benefit of the World Water Commission, and presented the Panel Members with an in-depth draft of the results of our consultations and research.

Following the Presentation to the Commission, and individual meetings between GCI and the Panel Members, the Panel was convened at the Plenary Session of the Symposium by Chairman Dr. Ismail Serageldin. As well as the three official Members, the Panel was joined by HRH Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Prof. Kader Asmal, former Minister for Water in South Africa and a principal architect of the progressive new Water Policies in South Africa and Southern Africa Development Community. Bertrand Charrier and Prof. Laurence Boisson de Chazournes represented the work of GCI.

The Panel addresses and discussion were well received by the hundreds of participants at the Symposium who attended the session, and well balanced in their different areas of focus.

 Mr. Carlsson stressed the need for Global Governance, and for States involved in water disputes to agree on solutions, mediation procedures, or arbitration. On the institutional level, he believed the UN and other international bodies should be more involved in security measures and preventive initiatives.

 Mr. Ramos introduced the different models of cooperation which we have outlined in our report: cooperation in terms of allocation, for salvation and for opportunity. He also raised the importance of poverty alleviation and environmental protection as key issues in achieving both water and social security, and pointed out the close link between water, education and survival.

 Mr. Masire began with the statement that the water in rivers belongs to all riparian states, and that upper and lower states have equal claim. Water thus belongs to all and the most proactive approach is to recognise this communal ownership and share the water before fighting over it. He spoke particularly of Southern Africa which is trying to be proactive and cooperative to relieve its thirst, rather than waiting until states are forced into desperate measures to secure water.

 Prof. Asmal spoke of the need to protect the sovereignty of small states, and convince all states that it is in their vital interest to act together to remove threats of force. He raised the point that we need to look beyond law to policy, and to enhance political and public will through education and confidence building measures to install the principle of solidarity between people and states.

 During the question period the need to ratify the UN Convention on Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (so far only ratified by South Africa, Syria, Finland and Sweden) was highlighted.

Overall, the result of the discussions and meetings held in Stockholm on the question of National Sovereignty and International Waters point towards the need to focus attention on water-related conflict prevention and resolution, including the area of international mediation. Green Cross International now needs to integrate the ideas and proposals of the Panel Members and the World Water Commission, along with our own research and consultations with recognised experts, to provide a progressive analysis and concrete proposals on the question of how States and People can peacefully and sustainably share international waters.

The Final results will be presented by the Sovereignty Panel and Green Cross International at the 2nd World Water Forum in the Hague, March 21 2000, and incorporated in the final Vision report.

For more information on the Stockholm Water Symposium, please link to:

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