BOND UK Water Network

Notes of a Meeting held on 27 July 2006 at 2pm in

BOND, Regents Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL

Present: Ceridwen Johnson (Freshwater Action Network), Laura Webster (Tearfund), Steve Bloomfield (UNISON), Belinda Calaguas (WaterAid), Chris Tydeman (Consultant), Elisabet Lopet (Progressio), Steve Horton (TASTE), Leila Deen (WDM), Brian Mathew (Freelance), Sohrab Baghri (PLAN), Nicola Macbean (Rights Practice), Mansoar Ali (Practical Action/ITDG), Peter Ryan (WaterAid), Ruuaro Lorenz (Redr-IUE), Margaret M Stewart (The Springs Foundation), Peregrine Swann (DFID), Joanne Green (DFID), Sara Godfrey (DFID) and Antony Robbins (DFID).

Laura Webster in the Chair

  1. Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into Water and Sanitation

Belinda Calaguas explained that this inquiry was being held largely as a consequence of the lobbying carried out by members of the UK Water Network particularly WaterAid, Tearfund and WDM. Submissions to the Inquiry had to be in by 20 October and a DFID response could be expected before the end of 2006. Submissions from in country activists were particularly encouraged. While each member organisation was encouraged to submit its own evidence it was also agreed that the UK Water Network should make a submission. After a discussion it was agreed that a draft would be prepared by Peter Ryan, Brian Mathew and Sohrab Baghri by the end of August. This would then be circulated to members of the network for their input.

  1. DFID White Paper – Making Governance Work for the Poor

The White Paper was generally welcomed but it was seen as deficient in some key areas, notably on concepts of governance at local and informal levels. It was also felt that the position of water and sanitation within PRSPs should be promoted more explicitly. It was recognised that the Inquiry referred to in1.above offered an opportunity to mount a critique of the White Paper.

  1. DFID Water Action Plan

Belinda reported that DFID was carrying out its annual review of the Action Plan. The plan was compiled from inputs from the DFID country programmes and in most respects was not an action plan at all. WaterAid will be trying to revise the plan’s format to make it more action oriented and to enable progress to be monitored.

  1. Meeting the MDGs – Letters to the Minister Hilary Benn and Officials plus the Follow up Meeting with the Minister.

Copies of the letters sent by WaterAid and WDM were tabled. The meeting with Benn was good with Benn appearing to be very engaged with water issues. The role of the private sector was discussed and there was a consensus that the priority was to see established strong effective public institutions and that the private sector did have a role as contractors and consultants to the public sector. However there remained differences concerning the private sector as deliverers of water services. There was a recognition of the contribution PUPS could make. Again it was felt that the issues that emerged from this process should be fed into the submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry (1).

  1. World Water Week – Stockholm.

WaterAid, FAN and TearFund reported that they would be participating as was Chris Tydeman. Reform of the EU Water Initiative was a priority for many attending. It was also noted that PAWS and the Stakeholder Forum would also be there. The latter had announced that their priority was to identify actions to follow up UN CSD13.

  1. Brussels

Ceridwen reported that on 10 July WaterAid staged a stunt involving a postcard campaign in favour of scrapping the EU Water Facility as it stood and to press for fundamental reform.

  1. WDM – Campaign to Public Solutions to the Global Water Crisis

Leila reported that WDM were sponsoring an Early Day Motion in support of public water solutions. 180 MPs had so far signed up. Leila encouraged network members to use their political contacts to generate support for this EDM. Leila agreed to circulate the text of the EDM.

  1. Human Development Report – Geneva.

The notes of this event on 10 July had been circulated with the agenda. It was reported that both Belinda and Ceridwen had had an input into the water debate. Consideration was given to whether the network wished to cooperate in developing some campaign materials for November. It was also pointed out that the G8 gathering offered another chance for lobbying on water and sanitation issues.

  1. Review of How the UK Water Network Operates.

Laura circulated a paper that set out the original terms of reference for the network and a series of questions/discussion points for consideration by members. In view of the lack of time it was agreed that members should send in their comments and responses to Laura.

10. Presentations and Discussion on Saniation. (Peregrine

Swann, Joanne Green, Sara Godfrey and Antony Robbins from DFID joined the meeting for this item).

Peter Ryan, Sohrab Baghri and Laura Webster gave presentations on aspects of the sanitation issue.(Slides were circulated for both Peter’s and Laura’s presentations). Following the presentations a period of questions and debate followed. Peregrine explained that DFID had recently commissioned a paper on options for scaling up in water and sanitation. This may lead to the production of a new policy statement on water and sanitation. WaterAid reported that on 20/21 September a seminar on scaling up would be held. DFID were invited to participate and this was accepted. It was also agreed that BOND, DFID and the UK Water Network should cooperate in the organisation of a DFID event on sanitation at which officials not just from the water and energy division but also from the health division of DFID policy department should be encouraged to participate.

The meeting closed at 5.15pm.

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