The Global Corruption Report 2008: A Call to Action

Sunday 17 August
Afternoon Seminar

Convenors: Water Integrity Network (WIN) and Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)

Event Summary and Conclusions

On the occasion of WWW, WIN organized various key sessions. These report refers to the objectives, outputs and next steps regarding some main sessions, namely the

1. Dialogue meeting for building strategic partnerships for action (16 August);
2. WIN seminar The Global Corruption Report 2008: A Call to Action (17 August).

The overarching objectives of these and other WIN sessions (members and donors meeting, press conference, booth presence) was to further raise awareness of WIN’s mission, to explore interests and synergies of and with key international water actors, partners and WIN members. The elaboration around concrete actions at regional and local levels were given priority during the presentations and debates. 

Dialogue meeting for building strategic partnerships for action

About 15 representatives of leading international water actors met on 16 August 2008 for a 3 hour lively debate in central Stockholm. The interest and commitment itself were shown by the fact that the group gathered one day ahead of the official start of WWW. As expected some of the organizations were already committed to anti-corruption actions in the water sector while others used the meeting to further inform themselves and propose next steps. Overall participants broadly affirmed to the urgent need for concrete actions and for collaborating with WIN.
Much attention was given during the debate to the question of how principles of integrity, transparency and accountability can be best injected into national governments. While this remains challenging and difficult, broad consensus was brought to the table that the water, sanitation and irrigation infrastructure needs strong and transparent acting governments, water operators and institutions plus effective strategic management. In addition empowered civil society actors and NGOs are a must.
Although the relationships among water and power, finance and corruption are complex, many instances are known due to increasing research, projects and the establishment of anti-corruption fighting alliances and networks in the last years. Hence the underlying dynamics of corruption in water are more and more understood and tools and best practices are increasingly available.

Objectives

1. Sharing information on strategic frameworks and priorities;
2. Identifying possible synergies between organizations, networks and strategic action;
3. Developing value added strategic partnerships.

Outputs

Impressively, many concrete actions were proposed by the participants during this dialogue meeting. They are clustered into some thematic action points below:

1. Support to build capacity (main target groups: municipalities, NGOs, civil society and citizens)
2. Reach out to Global Water Operators (GWOP)
3. Co-opt, adopt and plug into existing networks outside own’s one zone of comfort/  the water world
4. Build regional groupings and involve different agents
5. Equip government funds with an anti-corruption component
6. Activate own members and partners to join WIN.

Next steps

There was a need expressed to follow up – on a bi- or multi-lateral basis – on the proposals raised during the debate. This will be undertaken in the next weeks through WIN, ISC and partners.

WIN seminar The Global Corruption Report 2008: A Call to Action

WIN, TI and SIWI convened an awareness-raising event which highlighted the importance of improving integrity and transparency in the governance structures in the sector. The two overarching themes of the seminar were the recommendations arising from this year’s Global Corruption Report and the promotion of coalition-building and strategic partnerships. The seminar contained three blocks: presentations, a panel debate and thematic sessions and was attended by about 80 people.
Håkan Tropp opened the event, underlining the importance of good governance, integrity and transparency in the allotment of water, the provision of sanitation, the protection of biological diversity and management of natural resources. Christiaan Poortman delivered the key presentation on the recommendations arising from the Global Corruption Report 2008. He commandingly stressed the need for active partnership and co-operation amongst water and anti-corruption practitioners. This led towards an engaged panel debate where TV journalist Melinda Crane discussed with Margaret Catley-Carlson (UNSGAB), Colin Chartes (IWMI), Donal O’Leary (TI), Joke Muylwijk (GWA), Ranjith Ratnayake (SLWP) and David Tickner (WWF) how coalitions can help to fight corruption and what can and must be done by whom and when, where are the obstacles, gaps and how does one overcome them. In addition an open discussion among panelists and audience ensued and provided an opportunity to address some points in more depth.
After the coffee-break Teun Bastemeijer recounted WIN’s mission, its activities and drive for local actions and coalition building. His presentation guided the audience into several working groups dealing with actions to fight corruption. The overall synthesis was delivered by Iftekhar Zaman. A session report will be formulated and disseminated via the WIN website and elsewhere.
Overall there was great enthusiasm and moral support expressed for WIN and its potential to improve integrity and structure of governance in the water sector by increasing transparency and fighting corruption.

Objectives

The purpose of the seminar was:

1. to further raise awareness for WIN and action oriented coalition building
2. to establish an appropriate balance between advocacy work and concrete actions
3. to stress that WIN fights corruption in the whole water sector (water resources management, irrigation as well as water supply and sanitation) and that WIN pursues active partnership in all sub-sectors
4. to strengthen coalitions amongst participants from governments, utilities, regulators, the private sector, the donor community,  civil society organisations , universities and research organizations

Outputs

1. Broad and engaged participation of major water actors, partners and WIN members
2. Stimulation of  interest in strategically collaborating with WIN
3. Visualisation of WIN

Next steps

1. Keep the momentum of such WIN sessions and plan the next ones
2. Disseminate a short,  concrete synthesis of the WIN events at WWW to WIN members, partners and donors
3. Follow up on what was said and on bilateral- and multilateral basis.

Seminar Programme           13:30-17:00, Room T6

Chair: Dr. Håkan Tropp, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Moderator: Dr. Melinda Crane, Journalist and Television Presenter

Download GWA's own programme of events

Presentation from the event

Please scroll down and find the link from the programme