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Letter from President of World Water Council

Marseille, 21 November 2017 Dear Mr. Dursun, During our 63rd Board of Governors meeting in Marseille this month, it was clear that our Council stands as a unique oganization mobilizing a wide range of stakeholders. Through your efforts, we have become one of the major architects pushing forward the water debate internationally. As a global water community, we have been able to bring new perspectives and make a real difference on water issues both at the community level in our respective countries and among key international decision makers through the World Water Forum. In four and a half months from now, all the Council members will have important roles to play at the 8th World Water Forum in Brazil. The 8th Forum organization has made big strides, and during the its International Steering Committee meeting on 2 November, all processes met in Marseille and advanced on coordinating content. Indeed, the preliminary program is shaping up and the sessions are currently being finalized. Registration is now open and the logistics, commercial and communications teams are now fully operational, as well as a recently hired global PR agency. We look forward to supporting the Secretariat in the final stretch towards a successful World Water Forum in Brazil next March. Looking beyond the World Water Forum, however, it is important to define how we want to position ourselves in the next decades to guarantee long-term success of the Council in influencing global water policies and leadership on water, and to ensure that the World Water Forums remain game changers. In this fast-changing world and highly competitive environment, we must reflect on how the legal and institutional framework of our organization should adapt. The participation of our members in this reflection is paramount, and on 17 March 2018 in Brasilia, an Extraordinary General Assembly will be organized to consult our membership on the recommendations made by the Council’s Governance Commission. All members are invited to contribute and share their thoughts. I look forward to seeing you there. In terms of forward thinking and modernization, another important step in our organization is reinforcing our communications efforts through the hiring of a global PR agency. Together with our staff and the Forum’s agency, they are already picking up the pace on international communications in view of the upcoming Forum and beyond. I am also happy to announce that the World Water Council website has been refurbished to adapt to all systems and devices, as is required for efficient modern communications. Dealing with climate change is at the core of the Council’s goal to help increase water security at large. Earlier this month, the Council engaged in CoP23 to promote the recognition of water as a connector for human development and a vector for both climate change adaptation and mitigation. In addition to carrying the voice of water with the #ClimateIsWater initiative, the Council co-coordinated Water Action Day. Together with our partners of the Moroccan Government we launched the revised edition of the Blue Book and highlighted ongoing initiatives, such as Water for Africa and the King Hassan II Great World Water Prize. Honorary President Loïc Fauchon moderated the outcome discussions of the Water Action Day in Bonn, and many Council members were involved in bringing our common messages forward. It was a powerful display of our community joining forces to help bring water higher in the climate agenda. And last, but not least, I am happy to send you the last Implementation Roadmap Progress Report. As you all know, Implementation Roadmaps are designed to catalyze multi-stakeholder, collective action to sustain progress on vital water-related issues in between World Water Forums. This publication will be followed by a final report, which will include successful case studies, lessons learnt, and contributions to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, to be published next year and discussed at the 8th World Water Forum. My dear friend, we are at a crossroads. I am convinced that, together, we can forge a pathway that will deliver a brighter future for all--A future where no one goes to bed hungry, where no one dies of preventable diseases, where “no one is left behind.” We must dare each other to be visionary, to be ambitious, to be leaders - there is no time to waste - we need to act now. With warm regards, Benedito Braga, President, World Water Council Enclosed:

World Water Council - Conseil mondial de l'eau Espace Gaymard 2-4 Place d'Arvieux 13002 Marseille - France Tel: +33 4 91 99 41 00 Fax: +33 4 91 99 41 01 http://www.worldwatercouncil.org Click here if you wish to unsubscribe from WWC emails

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