World Water Forum Guidelines: Essential Objectives and Components

World Water Forum
Guidelines
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2
The World Water Forum at a glance ..................................................................................... 2
Target audience ................................................................................................................ 3
Forum components............................................................................................................ 3
Facilities ............................................................................................................................ 3
Financial commitments ...................................................................................................... 4
Indicative timeline .............................................................................................................. 4
The World Water Forum in detail .......................................................................................... 5
What is the World Water Forum......................................................................................... 5
Forum Objectives ........................................................................................................... 5
Audience ........................................................................................................................ 5
Shaping the World Water Forum .................................................................................... 5
Overall Forum Theme .................................................................................................... 6
Forum Phases ............................................................................................................... 7
Components .................................................................................................................. 8
Practical Matters.............................................................................................................. 13
Venue .......................................................................................................................... 13
Financing ..................................................................................................................... 14
Governance ................................................................................................................. 15
Communications .......................................................................................................... 18
Logistics, venue, accommodation, transport ................................................................ 20
Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) .................................................................. 21
Participation and registration ........................................................................................ 21
Intellectual Property ..................................................................................................... 22
Institutional Memory ..................................................................................................... 22
Application Process ......................................................................................................... 22
Host Country ................................................................................................................ 22
Host City ...................................................................................................................... 22
Expression of Interest .................................................................................................. 23
Initial Evaluation ........................................................................................................... 23
Information Session ..................................................................................................... 23
Formal Bid Document .................................................................................................. 23
Site visits...................................................................................................................... 24
Detailed Evaluation ...................................................................................................... 24
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Selection of Host Country ............................................................................................ 24
Framework Agreement................................................................................................. 24
Formal Handover ......................................................................................................... 25
For More Information........................................................................................................... 25
Appendix I – Model Framework Agreement ........................................................................ 26
Introduction
These guidelines are provided by the World Water Council to assist interested countries and
cities to bid for the possibility of co-convening the World Water Forum.
The World Water Forum is held every three years and is now the world’s largest water event.
However, the World Water Forum is not just a conference: it is an ongoing change process
that includes a three-year preparation phase, a one-week event, and presentation of the
results, with ongoing support for collective action.
The 1st World Water Forum took place in Marrakech, Morocco in 1997, followed by The
Hague, The Netherlands in 2000; Kyoto, Shiga, and Osaka, Japan in 2003; Mexico City,
Mexico in 2006; Marseille, France in 2012; Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea in 2015;
and most recently Brasilia, Brazil in 2018. The 9th World Water Forum will take place in
Greater Dakar, Senegal in March 2021.
Since 1997 the World Water Forum has developed a distinct format to ensure the Forum is a
dynamic environment for opinions, debates, exchanges, networking and learning around
water-related issues and solutions.
The guidelines describe all aspects of the World Water Forum, practical matters such as
governance arrangements, financial requirements, the selection process, and explain the
way the World Water Council and the Host Country will cooperate in the organization of the
World Water Forum.
The World Water Forum at a glance

The World Water Forum is not just a conference: it includes a three-year preparation
phase (preparatory phase), a one-week event (event phase), and presentation of the results
(synthesis phase) with ongoing support for collective action.
The essential objectives of the World Water Forum are to:
a) Foster debate by providing a platform for all stakeholders to engage, exchange, learn
together, and catalyze concrete ideas for improved water resources management
and development;
b) Challenge conventional thinking by ensuring a diversity of perspectives and ideas on
contemporary and critical water resource management issues; and
c) Mobilize action by policy and decision-makers on commitments for improved water
resources management and development.
In addition, the World Water Forum represents a significant opportunity to connect with the
general public to increase awareness on water issues. In terms of audience participation, the
World Water Forum has been growing fast. The Marrakech Forum attracted a total audience
of 500, growing to 20,000 in Kyoto, Shiga and Osaka, and Mexico City. In 2015 Daegu-
Gyeongbuk registered over 40,000 entries. In 2018, the Citizen’s Fair component of the 8th
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Forum, which was open to all free of charge, registered over 100,000 entries in Brasilia over
the course of the week, making it the largest Forum ever.
Target audience
The target audience for the World Water Forum includes: political leaders (local
authorities/mayors, parliamentarians, ministers, heads of governments/state), policy and
decision makers, business leaders, media representatives, representatives of water-related
sectors, representatives of non-water-related sectors for which water is an essential
component, the world’s water professionals, water scientists and engineers, civil society
representatives (users, beneficiaries, unions, professional associations, indigenous peoples,
women, youth, etc.), and citizens of the host country.
Forum components
In the past, the World Water Forum was required to include three components, each forming
a part of the preparatory phase, the event phase, and the synthesis phase:
1) Thematic Program - providing the substantive underpinning on water issues of critical

importance;
2) Regional Program - providing perspectives on water from all regions of the world;
and
3) Political Program - providing the opportunity for discussion amongst and with elected
officials
However, a new approach is being undertaken for the development of the 9th World Water
Forum. The revisions sought to encourage innovation and greater integration between
processes while federating communities and catalyzing action; create a more political focus
for outcomes; and concentrate on a limited number of themes where operational responses
of quality could be provided and concrete results, commitments and actions could be
identified. Consequently, the preparation process was built around 4 main priorities rather
than around the above processes.
In addition, an Expo and Fair is a mandatory component of the event phase - providing a
space for all stakeholders to showcase their contribution to water dialogues and solutions.
It is also expected that the Host Country and City will bring their own individual identity to the
World Water Forum through components such as a Citizen’s Forum - providing an open
platform for exchanges with the general public on water issues and to generate widespread
public momentum for such issues.
In addition, countries have introduced other non-mandatory components, such as the Virtual
Forum, a learning center, a youth Forum, a film festival, etc. These have served to broaden
the scope of the preparations and the event itself.
Facilities
The event phase of the World Water Forum requires facilities, in a single city, that offer:
 an existing, well maintained, modern venue in one location

 a venue that can accommodate 10,000 active participants and 30,000 visitors
 a main auditorium for at least 3,000 people to host the opening and closing
ceremonies
 a minimum of 16 rooms of 100 to 500 seat capacity, either in rows or in a roundtable
setting
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 facilities to host at least 120 ministerial level delegations, 100 mayors and 100
parliamentarians with access to security, and appropriate meeting and
communication facilities
 a minimum of 12,000 square meters of (gross) exhibit space to host the Expo/Fair.
 access to a wide variety of audio-visual equipment and modern media facilities
across the whole event site
 a minimum of 8,000 hotel rooms in various categories
 adequate transportation facilities
During the preparatory phase of the World Water Forum a range of other events including
kick-off meetings, etc. are expected to be hosted by the Host Country. Based on experience,
these additional meetings will be smaller than 500 persons.
Financial commitments
The cost of hosting the preparatory, event, and synthesis phases of the World Water Forum
is estimated to be in the region of 30M€ (excluding security measures). This estimate is
expected to provide for all activities related to the World Water Forum and its preparation
globally.
Experience suggests that approximately 40% of the Forum costs are provided by the host
country, 30-40% will come from sponsors, and the remaining 30% will come from
registrations and exhibitors.
Indicative timeline
The following table outlines the indicative timeline of the actions and deadlines that will apply
to the selecting a Host Country for the World Water Forum:
September 2018 Call for Expressions of Interest opened to all National Governments
31 December 2019 Final Deadline for Expressions of Interest
5-6 February 2020 Deliberations at WWC 71st Board of Governors Meeting

Additional Guidelines provided to shortlisted candidates and invitation
February 2020
sent for information session to candidates
March 2020 Information session for interested parties
31 May 2020 Deadline for receiving final bid documents

Evaluation of bid documents including site visits as necessary and
June-October 2020
report drafting
Selection Committee presents its report to the WWC Board of
October 2020
Governors, which then votes to select Host Country
February 2021 Signature of agreement between the selected candidate and the WWC
March 2021 Hand-over to Host Country at the 9th World Water Forum
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The World Water Forum in detail
What is the World Water Forum
Forum Objectives
The essential objectives of the World Water Forum are to:
a) Foster debate by providing a platform for all stakeholders to engage, exchange, learn
together, and catalyze concrete ideas for improved water resources management
and development;
b) Challenge conventional thinking by ensuring a diversity of perspectives and ideas on
contemporary and critical water resource management issues; and
c) Mobilize action by policy and decision-makers on commitments for improved water
resources management and development.
In addition, the World Water Forum represents a significant opportunity to connect with the
general public to increase awareness on water issues.
Audience
The target audience for the World Water Forum includes: political leaders (local
authorities/mayors, parliamentarians, ministers, heads of governments/state), policy and
decision makers, business leaders, media representatives, representatives of water-related
sectors, representatives of non-water-related sectors for which water is an essential
component, the world’s water professionals, water scientists and engineers, civil society
representatives (users, beneficiaries, unions, professional associations, indigenous peoples,
women, youth, etc.), and citizens of the host country.
During all phases of the World Water Forum, there are many individuals who are engaged,
in different ways, in various preparations. However, the audience engaged during the event
phase of the World Water Forum tends to dominate. This audience, local and global, is
made up of:
 entrants to the Expo and Fair

 participants in the Citizen’s Forum
 participants in substantive sessions
 participants in political events, and
 participants in the opening and closing ceremonies
Given practical and operational considerations it is difficult to uniquely identify individuals, as

one person could participate in multiple different sessions during the event as well as
networking in the Expo and Fair. Hence, the World Water Council will work with the Host
Country to ensure that the audience participation in the World Water Forum is a fair and
reasonable reflection of the number of unique individuals that are engaged during the
preparatory and event phases.
Shaping the World Water Forum

The World Water Forum seeks to address critical contemporary water issues. In this regard
it is expected that the thematic priorities for the Forum will be drawn from various sources.
Outcomes of Previous Forums

Each World Water Forum produces (a) Forum Report(s) during the synthesis phase. This
draws out the main products, outcomes, conclusions and recommendations from the three-
year process that makes up the World Water Forum.
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Implementation Roadmaps
A key outcome of the 7th World Water Forum was the signing of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk
Implementation Commitment. This established a set of Implementation Roadmaps that
stakeholders carried forward in the intervening period between the 7th and 8th World Water
Forums. These Implementation Roadmaps were subject to regular review and evolved in
response to changing external circumstances. Semestrial reports edited by the WWC formed
a significant input to the preparatory process of the 8th World Water Forum and provided a
historical record of collective action stemming from the Forum. Establishing such a
mechanism to support ongoing collective action is strongly recommended.
WWC Strategy
Every three years the World Water Council refreshes its strategy and workplan. These
documents are adopted by the General Assembly of the World Water Council, which
typically takes place towards the end of the year of the World Water Forum.
In developing its strategy, the World Water Council is cognizant of the drivers that will shape
the coming decade, as well as the achievements of the immediate past workplan. In this way
the Council seeks to ensure that its work program is reflective of the critical water issues
facing the world.
Interests of Host Country

Each Host Country has brought something innovative and different to successive World
Water Forums. In particular, this is reflected in the choice of overall theme for the Forum, for
example ‘Sharing’ was the over-arching theme for the 8th World Water Forum in Brasilia.
This choice reflects national strategic interests in terms of transboundary cooperation and
also the need to share water between different uses and users.
In this way it is expected that the national interests of the Host Country will contribute to
guiding the shape of the World Water Forum.
Contemporary Water Issues

There are many water events that take place around the world each year. These offer insight
into the contemporary water issues that are under discussion by the global water community,
as well as the global community outside the water sector. For example, there are a growing
number of events whose primary focus is not water, but where water issues feature strongly
in the event agenda.
It is expected that the Host Country will keep these wider discussions in mind when
developing ideas for the World Water Forum. In addition, the Host Country may wish to seek
feedback from a wide range of stakeholders to identify new and emerging issues that could
be integrated into the Forum or leverage contributions from existing events for the
preparation of the World Water Forum.
Overall Forum Theme

There are many issues or themes that could be addressed by the World Water Forum.
However, experience suggests that it is critical to focus on a limited number of major
themes. The Host Country, in its bid, presents the first ideas for an overarching theme. For
example, the overarching theme in Marseille 2012 was ‘solutions’, while in Daegu-
Gyeongbuk the overarching theme was ‘implementation.’ The final overarching theme is
agreed upon between the World Water Council and the Host Country.
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Within this overall general orientation, a number of important themes and issues of local,
regional and global importance will be identified and included within a more detailed
framework. For the 9th World Water Forum, the framework was articulated around priorities
for action, which implied that the working groups aimed to concentrate on doing activities
together that would forge improved situations around the world, in particular towards the
achievement of Agenda 2030, rather than simply talking about issues.
Forum Phases
Preparatory Phase
The preparatory phase essentially begins with the formal handover to the Host Country at
the closing ceremony of the preceding World Water Forum. Over the next three years the
preparatory phase will encompass all meetings and activities to establish the operational
processes to support the World Water Forum, and the wider engagement of stakeholders in
a global debate on the critical water issues that will form the basis of the event phase.
In broad terms the preparatory phase includes the following critical timepoints:
Oct 2021 Establishment of Forum Secretariat
Mar 2022 Kick-off meeting/First stakeholder consultation meeting
Jan 2023 Second stakeholder consultation meeting
Mar 2024 World Water Forum event
In addition, during the period between January 2022 and Mar 2024 there will be many
meetings, events, and activities to support the preparation in all regions of the world.
Event Phase
The World Water Forum event phase is the phase that is most visible to the global audience.
The event phase encompasses the entire organization of the event. This includes the overall
program of the week, all the parallel events, the week’s calendar, the week’s highlights,
ceremonies for the opening, closing, award of prizes and other special purposes, special
shows, a cultural program, field excursions, etc. It also includes the type, number and format
of the sessions and all the details of the facilities required to realize these.
A draft World Water Forum event structure will be prepared no later than 18 months prior to
the event. This is needed to support the development of the content and organizing the
event.
Synthesis Phase
The primary purpose of the synthesis and follow-up phase is to effectively communicate the
outcomes of the World Water Forums and to continue the momentum for ongoing progress.
In this regard one or more Forum Reports will carefully document the results of the World
Water Forum. This is considered essential to ensure visibility of action, solutions, and
commitment, and to ensure continuity between each Forum. If this task is not adequately
provided for, there is a risk to the World Water Forum, its brand, and its continued existence.
While the Forum Reports are published post the World Water Forum, it is essential that it is
built up throughout all three phases. For example, during the preparatory phase it is
important to record key messages from all meetings that make up the programme
development. During the Forum event it is vital to collect highlights and recommendations
from participants and session organizers. All of this material contributes to the Forum Report
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which draws out the main conclusions and recommendations from the three-year process
that makes up the World Water Forum.
Preparation of the Forum Report is the responsibility of the Host Country, with the Executive
Summary of the Final Report subject to the approval of the World Water Council Board of
Governors.
The Final Report of the World Water Forum is expected to be an online resource made
available within at least 6 months after the Forum, with a limited number of printed copies for
circulation to key targets.
It is suggested that a mechanism be established during the intervening period between

successive World Water Forums to monitor and report on the commitments and actions that
have been made during the Forum event. It is expected that these reports will form a
significant input to the preparatory processes of the successive Forum, as well as providing
a historical record of collective action stemming from the Forum.
Components
Mandatory
Political Component
Format and Organization
The Political Component provides a platform for dialogues with and between local
authorities/mayors, parliamentarians, ministers, and heads of governments/states. In the
past, separate processes were designed for each of the key political audiences. However, it
is important to ensure interaction between elected officials and other stakeholders during
each phase of the World Water Forum.
In the past, the Political Programme of the World Water Forum event phase has involved:
 A Ministerial Conference, or other Summit of the same type, which was organized
jointly by the Host Country and the World Water Council. The anticipated number of
participating Ministerial Delegations was greater than 100. In addition, the program
provided for the participation of other relevant international organizations and
stakeholder representatives.
 Meetings for local authorities, parliamentarians, and judges and prosecutors,
including mechanisms to provide input to and exchange with the Ministerial
Conference. In addition, these meetings provided the opportunity for local authorities,
parliamentarians, and judges and prosecutors to exchange amongst themselves and
with other stakeholders.
 The Host Country may also decide jointly with the World Water Council to organize a
summit of Heads of States/Governments.
It is important to note that the World Water Forum Ministerial Conference is an inter-
governmental meeting. However, it has greater freedom as it is not a formal UN facilitated
inter-governmental negotiation. Furthermore, given that the world is rapidly changing, there
is a need for the Political component to be adaptive to these changes, including new political
opinions, mechanisms and realities. As a result, the Political component of the World Water
Forum requires both a comprehensive and dynamic approach.
The outcomes of the World Water Forum, including the Ministerial engagement, will be
presented by the World Water Council and the Host Country to the UN and other
international bodies. Thus, it is essential that the Political component draw from the content
development process for the success of the World Water Forum. In this regard, particular
attention should be placed on ensuring that the Political component, during all phases of the
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World Water Forum, is informed by the dialogues in the content development process and
vice versa.
Indeed, the 9th World Water Forum is seeking to render the multi-stakeholder dialogues and
outcomes more politically relevant. So, it is expected that greater integration between the
thematic, political, regional and citizens discussions will take place, producing a less siloed
approach with harmonized outcomes emanating from one single preparatory process, rather
than multiple ones.
Before the Event

Regarding the Ministerial engagement, the Host Country in partnership with the World Water
Council may choose to organize a series of events during the preparatory phase of the
World Water Forum. These meetings could be of a thematic or regional character, could be
associated with planned meetings of relevant Ministers, or could form part of a formal
‘PrepCom’ process.
The World Water Forum budget will contribute to the costs for the organization of the
Political preparatory events, including the provision of interpretation services, based on UN
requirements and in the official working languages of the UN. Since water is almost never
the main portfolio of one Minister, invitations should be addressed at the highest political
level. Experience suggests that successful Ministerial Conferences require the Host Country
– Ministry of Foreign Affairs to play a leading role.
In a similar vein, specific preparatory meetings for and with Local Authorities and
Parliamentarians will be organized. Other political actors may also be identified and
approached. No specific format for this preparation is defined. For these components, a joint
venture between local organizations (including in particular the Ministry of Foreign Affairs),
international organizations of Local Authorities and Parliamentarians and the World Water
Council will be necessary. The Host City will have a prominent role in the meeting of Local
Authorities. Obviously, the format, themes and organization of all meetings must be
prepared well in advance. A specific budget will be made available for the meetings with
Local Authorities and Parliamentarians.
During the Event

The Political component will constitute a core element of the World Water Forum event. In
previous World Water Forums, a ministerial dialogue was conducted resulting in a Ministerial
Declaration of some kind. Additional meetings of local authorities and of parliamentarians
were organized. The details and timing of these meetings during the World Water Forum
event will be agreed upon by the International Steering Committee, the World Water Council
and the National Committee.
After the Event

Preparing outputs from the Political component of the World Water Forum will form a key
step toward establishing a sound follow-up process. Deciding on the type of outputs is,
therefore, a task in itself and deserves proper attention, and it will require close consultation
with the various groups of elected officials.
As the World Water Forum will not be a formal UN inter-governmental negotiation, and as it
has no automatic route for transmitting its outcomes to such negotiations, it will be important
to decide early in the process on ways of disseminating these outcomes to subsequent
international summits. For example, linkages could be established with formal inter-
governmental negotiations, regional inter-governmental processes and other follow-up
mechanisms.
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Responsibilities
In the past, the general set-up of the Political component has been guided by a Political
Process Commission, however a successful Political Process is a shared responsibility
between the Host Country and the World Water Council. For the 9th Forum, the preparation
was centered around themes, with different perspectives, including political ones,
contributing to the discourse. As such, there was not a dedicated Political Process
Commission.
The Host Country – Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a primary responsibility to organize
Ministerial meetings in close collaboration with the World Water Council. Decisions as to
how Ministers interact with the World Water Forum participants, local governments and
parliamentarians are made jointly by the Host Country and the World Water Council and
possibly other partner organizations.
The general set-up of the meetings of local authorities and parliamentarians is a shared
responsibility between the International Steering Committee, the National Committee and the
World Water Council. Other organizations can be involved in the organization of these
meetings.
Content Development Process

Format and Organization
Each World Water Forum is organized under the banner of a single overarching theme.
It is the responsibility of the Host Country to nominate the overarching theme, drawing upon
the elements presented in Shaping the World Water Forum above. However, the final
overarching theme for the World Water Forum is agreed upon between the World Water
Council and the Host Country.
Within this overarching theme, in the past Forums, it was the responsibility of the Thematic
Process Commission to identify critical water issues of local, regional and global importance.
In developing these critical water issues the Thematic Process Commission drew from the
outputs of the previous World Water Forum, as well the wider debate that is taking place
inside and outside the water community. The 9th World Water Forum preparation identified 4
major priorities at the outset of the preparatory process around which multi-stakeholder
involvement was catalyzed.
A large number of stakeholders must be involved in the framework definition and

development, including the full engagement of stakeholders in contributing content from the
Host Country.
Before the Event

a preparatory process for developing the World Water Forum Program may be set-up
through (a) dedicated body(ies) under the overall guidance of the International Steering
Committee. In the past, a Thematic Process Commission has held this responsibility.
This process should obtain input from a wide range of organizations and sectors so as to
create wide ownership for the World Water Forum’s agenda. This process will start 24
months before the World Water Forum event. It will be designed and executed in a
transparent and participatory manner engaging a broad range of stakeholders.
A kick-off meeting will be organized no later than 24 months prior to the World Water Forum
event. This meeting will be used to present the outputs and outcomes from the previous
World Water Forum and continued progress, to receive suggestions from a large variety of
stakeholders on the priorities for action, and to explain and promote the World Water Forum.
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Particular consideration will be given to the progress made on actions and commitments
from the preceding World Water Forum.
Should the conceptual organization for the 9th World Water Forum’s preparation be pursued,
a Pilot Group will be established for each chosen priority, under the coordination of one or
more organizations with an interest in the priority. It is the responsibility of the Pilot Group to
develop a set of joint actions and outcomes, in accordance with the guidance provided by
the ISC and the Forum Secretariat. These outcomes will be developed in coordination with a
set of Action Groups similarly constructed around identified actions related to the priority.
They will yield a detailed program of sessions pertaining to their priority for the World Water
Forum event. This will typically include the preparation and publication of materials to
support the discussions and mobilizing organizations to develop sessions and conduct
activities. The Action Groups will likewise work with a set of Session Groups, each led by (a)
Session Coordinator(s), who will prepare the contents and structure of each session,
including agreement on the format of the sessions themselves, making the arrangements for
speakers, etc.
During the preparatory phase, guidance will be provided to all working bodies by the Forum
Secretariat under the guidance of the ISC. In addition, the working bodies can expect active
support from the Forum Secretariat and the WWC Secretariat.
During the Event

The Forum’s program includes a range of different sessions, open discussion spaces,
learning centers etc. It is important to seek innovative ways of interaction, participation,
facilitation, and high-quality dialogues. Furthermore, the involvement of all stakeholders is
essential, and use should be made of existing and new technologies to seek active
participation.
In addition, the program may include a number of ‘high level’ or ‘emblematic’ events that put
the spotlight on specific, important and media-sensitive issues or solutions. These events
would emerge from ‘special initiatives’ developed during the years prior to the World Water
Forum event. These ‘high level’ events are agreed by the International Steering Committee.
After the Event

The Forum Report will carefully:
 document the key messages from the preparatory phase, and
 record key integrated highlights, outcomes and recommendations from the event
phase.
Responsibilities
A successful content development process is a shared responsibility between the Host
Country and the World Water Council.
In the event that there is a dedicated working body, it will be co-chaired by a nominee of the
World Water Council and by a representative of the Host Country. Membership is suggested
to not surpass 8 members, including the co-chairs. The membership will be appointed in
equal measure by the World Water Council and the Host Country.
Regional Perspectives
Since a specific effort to integrate regional perspectives into the content development
process was made for the 9th World Water Forum, a dedicated Regional Process was not
included for the 9th World Water Forum. Although previous editions incorporated this
component, it remains to be determined if a regional process would be valuable in the future.
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What is important, however, is to ensure balanced representation from stakeholders in every
continent in the Forum and in its preparation so that local and regional realities, contexts,
policies, learning and coordination mechanisms can be shared.
A preparatory process should also partner with or establish events on every continent in the
two years leading up to the World Water Forum. These existing ongoing formal processes,
established events and specially organized meetings are valuable relays to bring information
about the Forum into the regions so as to mobilize political and economic decision-makers
and citizens toward action and commitments in favor of water and sanitation and to enable
their voices to be heard at the Forum.
For the purposes of the World Water Forum the following regions have been identified:
Africa, Americas, Arab, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Mediterranean. While this regional
breakdown has served the World Water Forum well in the past, there is scope to consider
alternative approaches that could better engage regional stakeholders. For example, inter-
or cross-regional exchanges may be valuable where regions share the same issues.
Fair and Expo

The World Water Fair and the World Water Expo will be organized in parallel with World
Water Forum over a period of 4 to 8 days. Some host countries have introduced a difference
between (i) the World Water Fair, where not-for-profit organizations present their activities
and organize side-events and (ii) the World Water Expo, where private companies present
their products and services and do business.
The World Water Fair will be an important element of the World Water Forum. It is a place
where participants can network, see presentations and enjoy cultural performances, be
entertained and interact socially. The World Water Fair is a social “space” and bridges the
gap between sessions and events. Exhibitors at the World Water Fair are also participating
organizations in the World Water Forum. A World Water Fair program will be created
including presentations, debate, cultural events and entertainment, in conjunction with the
World Water Forum’s program. The Host Country is invited to propose an attractive set-up in
its bid.
The World Water Expo provides an opportunity for businesses and organizations to present
their products and services. It can be a source of income to cover a part of the costs of the
World Water Forum.
A price difference between participation in the World Water Fair and World Water Expo will
be established to allow e.g. non-governmental organizations to be present at the World
Water Fair at low or no cost. The Host Country is invited to elaborate on this in their bid.
Responsibilities
The World Water Fair and the World Water Expo are primarily the responsibility of the World
Water Forum - Secretariat Group.
Citizen’s Forum
The Citizen’s Forum was a new concept that was initiated during the preparation of the 6th
World Water Forum in Marseille. The objective of a Citizen’s Forum is to provide a way for
citizens, and often classrooms, who might not be generally informed on water issues to
engage on the subject. The organization of a Citizen’s Forum, therefore, remains flexible,
and the Council is receptive to creative proposals to reach out to citizens in different ways.
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It is expected that the proposed activities of a Citizen’s Forum should have educational
value, while generating broad enthusiasm across the broader community. This may take the
form of an open platform that enables exchange on new partnerships, initiatives, cooperation
and innovation, or encouraging democratic and social responsibility as regards water issues.
The Citizen’s Forum, thus, serves to promote the Forum and its cause, but it may also be
festive or cultural in nature.
A Citizen’s Forum is an opportunity for the Host Country and city to bring their own individual
identity to the World Water Forum. Where a Host Country proposes a Citizen’s Forum, the
proposals should be an integral part of the final bid document.
Others
Additional non-mandatory components could form part of the World Water Forum, subject to
discussion between the Host Country and the World Water Council. Prospective Host
Countries are encouraged to present innovative new components in their bid document.
Practical Matters
Venue
The World Water Forum is a mega-event that can attract in excess of 30,000 visitors. These
visitors participate in sessions, political meetings, citizens’ events, or simply visit the Expo.
Hence, a Host Country must be able to demonstrate that it has a venue that is capable of
meeting these demands.
The essential characteristics of the World Water Forum venue are:

ceremonies
setting
Other facilities may be required depending upon the innovations that are proposed by a Host
Country. For example, the involvement of citizens during the World Water Forum week is
very important, and hence specific arrangements may be made to host such events.
Visas
The Host Country must guarantee visas for all bona-fide World Water Forum participants
and facilitate the delivery of visas to the extent possible. It should describe in its bid the
process for World Water Forum participants to obtain visas. Visa requirements must be
communicated in all relevant documents and electronic media used.
P a g e 13 | 33
Financing
Budget
The cost of organizing a successful Forum is estimated to be in the region of €30 million.
This budget includes the costs related to the World Water Forum preparatory processes, the
Forum event, a minimal synthesis and follow-up, and World Water Council fees. While a
budget of €30m is considered appropriate, it should be noted that in the past, some World
Water Forum organizers, have worked with higher or lower budget figures.
A detailed budget forms part of the bid submitted by a Host Country and will also form part of
the final agreement. Inclusion of this budget in the bid document and final agreement is an
implicit guarantee that the total amount of the budget will be ensured by the Host Country.
Typically the following expenditures can readily be identified, including: the Forum
Secretariat costs for office space, administration, staff, travel and other expenses; event and
issues communication; event marketing (both international and national); general
preparatory meetings (i.e. kick-off, coordination, steering committee meetings); political
component preparations (Heads of State, Ministerial, Parliamentarians, Local Authorities…);
content development preparations (Working Groups, Special Initiatives, Coordination);
regional preparatory meetings; rental of the conference venue and all facilities; security at
and around the conference venue; and follow-up processes.
Within the context of the overall Forum budget a minimum of €4.9 million is expected to be
set aside to provide for the organizational work of the Forum Secretariat and the preparatory
processes. It is considered vital that the Forum Secretariat can operate from the first day of
its establishment, and the final agreement will specify these arrangements as agreed by the
World Water Council and the Host Country.
This list of expenditures is not exhaustive and other items may need to be covered from
within the Forum budget. In these circumstances, approval is required from the International
Steering Committee, whose decision is considered final.
Special support
To ensure wide-ranging and inclusive participation in the World Water Forum measures
must be taken to increase and facilitate the participation of major identifiable groups, such as
youth, women, professional associations, indigenous peoples, NGO’s and the private sector.
In some circumstances the availability of special support can be of significance.
To ensure equal opportunity to contribute, specific support is required from the Host Country
to facilitate the participation of stakeholders from developing countries.
Sources of revenue
A range of income sources can be readily identified, including: financial contributions from
national government, financial contributions from local government, income from registration
fees, income from fair and expo, sponsorship, donor contributions, income from other
sources, etc.
It is the responsibility of the Host Country, through the Forum Secretariat, to raise the
necessary revenues. However, it should be noted that the cost of entrance fees is a joint
decision of the World Water Council and the Host Country. The level at which entrance fees
are set will be based upon experience of previous World Water Fora and will take into
account various rates for students, NGOs, citizens of developing countries, etc. Different
rates for varying number of days can be established, and early-bird rates are also often
offered. World Water Council members benefit from a preferential tariff.
P a g e 14 | 33
For the avoidance of doubt, it is the responsibility of the Host Country to secure and
underwrite the total cost of hosting the World Water Forum.
Balancing the budget

Given sufficient support from the Host Country and sponsors, the World Water Forum
budget can be managed wisely and could even result in a positive balance. As indicated, this
can be used to support and accelerate the follow-up to the World Water Forum
commitments. It is important that the Host Country knows ahead of time how it wishes to
raise funds at different levels and would collaborate on this with the World Water Council.
Any positive result generated through the organization of the World Water Forum will be
invested in the World Water Forum Synthesis and follow-up process, or specific projects
agreed upon between the Host Country and the World Water Council. No profit can be
generated by the World Water Forum organization, either in favor of the World Water
Council or the Host Country.
World Water Council licensing fee

To recognize the value of the World Water Council brand to the success of the World Water
Forum, a licensing fee of no less that 4M€ is expected. This licensing fee helps the World
Water Council maintain the global profile of water between editions of the Forum, and to fulfil
its role as the institutional memory of the World Water Forum.
This licensing fee will be paid to the World Water Council in three annual installments of no
less than €1 million per annum in the years prior to the World Water Forum.
Auditing of finances
To ensure probity and transparency, the finances of the World Water Forum will be audited
by an international registered accountancy firm present in the Host Country. The Host
Country assumes all the cost of hiring such an auditor and the Country is expected to
elaborate on these arrangements, and how the results will be shared with the International
Steering Committee and the World Water Council in its bid.
Taxes
The Host Country assures the World Water Council that all tax implications, such as sales
tax, value added tax (VAT) and corporate taxes are included in the submitted itemized
budget. The Forum Secretariat in the Host Country should be provided with a status that
exempts it from the payment of all taxes within 3 months after its establishment. If no such
status is granted, the Host Country accepts to pay all relevant Host Country levied taxes
incurred by the World Water Council and the Forum Secretariat or any of its strategic
partners for the organization of the World Water Forum.
Governance
The World Water Forum will be organized on the basis of a strong partnership between the
World Water Council and a Host Country.
In broad terms the World Water Council is the lead-organizer of the World Water Forum
whereas the Host Country is the lead-partner hosting the World Water Forum event and
supporting the associated preparatory and follow-up processes.
The organization of the World Water Forum will be supported by the work of:
a) the International Steering Committee and its working bodies;
b) the National Committee;
P a g e 15 | 33
c) the World Water Forum - Secretariat Group
d) the World Water Council - Secretariat
International Steering Committee

The International Steering Committee (ISC) is the ultimate decision-making body of the
World Water Forum with overall responsibility and oversight of all matters. The main
responsibilities of the ISC are:
 overall strategic orientation of the World Water Forum
 to guide and supervise the work and activities of the working bodies
 to confirm the themes for the Forum
 to approve the logistics of the Forum including entrance fees
 to approve and oversee the budget for the Forum
The ISC establishes working bodies to guide the content development and the Political
components of the World Water Forum.
The ISC is co-chaired by the World Water Council and the Host Country.
The membership of the ISC is composed of a maximum of 20 members:

 The Co-Chairs of each major working body
 International members appointed by the World Water Council
 National members appointed by the Host Country
To support the work of the ISC, and to provide more day to day oversight of ISC decisions, a
Bureau will be created from within the ISC. The Bureau will consist of 3 members nominated
by the WWC and 3 members nominated by the Host Country.
Previous organizers of World Water Fora may be invited as external advisors.
National Committee
A National Committee coordinates the efforts of the Host Country and Host City on all
aspects of the World Water Forum before, during and after the event. The National
Committee is comprised of representatives of national stakeholders and relevant national
institutions involved in water-related issues within the Host Country.
The Host Country will establish a National Committee, the membership and chair of which
are nominated by the Host Country.
Working Bodies
The working bodies play a significant role in the preparatory and event phases of the World
Water Forum. Each working body will have a maximum of 8 members, including a Co-
Chairs. Half of the membership of each commission is nominated by the World Water
Council, and half by the Host Country. In addition, the Host Country and World Water
Council may co-opt specific expertise to each working body or provide the opportunity for
observers to participate in the work of each working body. Such arrangements will be agreed
upon by the Host Country and the World Water Council.
It is important to note that the role of the Host Country is key to the overall success of the
Political component. While the World Water Council is fully involved in the process, only the
Host Country can call for the involvement of elected officials around the world.
P a g e 16 | 33
It is also important to note that multi-stakeholder input is the basic building block for the
content development process and intended outcomes, with greater diversity being desirable.
Therefore, it is anticipated that input, ideas, and contributions from a wide variety of
stakeholders will be encouraged when determining priorities, during the preparatory phases,
and during the Forum event itself.
Other Working Bodies or Task Forces

Where the Host Country and the World Water Council agree on the inclusion of additional
non-mandatory components in the World Water Forum, there is potential for additional
Commissions or Task Forces to be established. The arrangements for any such additional
Commission or Task Force will be subject to agreement between the Host Country and the
World Water Council. In the past such task forces have included communications,
fundraising or greening and sustainability, for example.
Pilot Groups, Action Groups and Consultative Groups

Pilot Groups and Action Groups are established by organizations who share a common
interest in any of the shared activities and sessions that will form part of the Forum event.
Consultative Groups act as a community of practice that can provide input and feedback to
proposed actions and sessions. These Groups should be representative of the breadth of
interested parties from different geographical regions. Furthermore, it is often their
coordinators who will continue to lead action between successive World Water Forums.
The Groups select among their members a leader who is the point of administrative contact
for all World Water Forum related communication and action for a particular priority or action.
Forum Secretariat
The Host Country will establish a World Water Forum – Secretariat, which acts as the
implementing body of the World Water Forum. This Secretariat is responsible for
coordinating and supporting all the working bodies through all phases of the World Water
Forum.
The World Water Forum – Secretariat is managed by the Executive Director, who should be
fluent in English and the language(s) of the Host Country. In addition, it is expected that the
Executive Director should understand the institutional landscape of the Host Country, have
experience in organizing international events, and be of sufficient seniority to have ready
access to appropriate decision-making levels in the Host Country.
It is expected that the Secretariat will be composed of a mix of international and Host
Country staff who collectively have the necessary competencies to support and organize all
processes of the World Water Forum.
As soon as a Host Country is selected, the nucleus of the World Water Forum - Secretariat
Group will be established. Within 3 months after the final agreement has been signed
between the Host Country and the World Water Council, the Host Country will make
secretariat facilities available to the World Water Forum - Secretariat Group in the Host City.
The World Water Forum – Secretariat Group may include new employees, or staff from the
World Water Council, the Host Country and third parties (i.e. secondments). The World
Water Forum - Secretariat Group exists for a minimum period of 30 months prior to and 6
months after the World Water Forum event.
The appointment of all leading staff will be completed no later than 24 months prior the
World Water Forum event. The World Water Forum - Secretariat Group facilities provided by
P a g e 17 | 33
the Host Country include independent internationally representative office space for staff
whose numbers could rise to 30 at the time of the World Water Forum, modern computers,
modern communication tools, competent administrative support staff and highly skilled
technical staff (bi-lingual (English and Host Country main language)).
Within 3 months after the signing of the agreement between the Host Country and the World
Water Council, the Host Country will set-up the necessary institutional arrangements to
ensure the World Water Forum - Secretariat Group in the Host Country has a status that
allows it to recruit staff, have a bank-account, receive and disburse money, receive and
spend government subsidies and financial resources from third parties.
Special attention must be paid to the ability of the World Water Forum - Secretariat Group to
receive, send and spend money from national and non-national sources. It is necessary to
provide the World Water Forum - Secretariat Group with a recognized legal status no later
than 2 years before the World Water Forum event. The World Water Forum - Secretariat
Group should be in a position to accommodate persons from other countries in both the Host
Country as in the World Water Council – Headquarters.
The working language of the World Water Forum is English. Other language capabilities will
be an asset to the World Water Forum - Secretariat Group.
During the event, the Host Country will make available, free of charge, a minimum of 100
English speaking volunteers to assist the participants and the organizers of the event.
Responsibilities
The Host Country and Host City are responsible for providing facilities for the World Water
Forum - Secretariat Group.
World Water Council - Secretariat

The World Water Council is the institutional memory for the World Water Forums. Hence, the
World Water Council Secretariat works closely with the World Water Forum Secretariat on
every aspect of the World Water Forum organization so that the host country can benefit
from past experience. In addition to institutional guidance, organizational advice and process
support, the Secretariats collaborate closely on communications so as to create harmonized
messaging and outreach efforts. The World Water Council utilizes its network of members,
partners and contacts to this end.
Additionally, the World Water Council Secretariat has assumed responsibilities to transmit
the knowledge and commitments generated by one Forum to the next. In this perspective, it
has developed ongoing relationships to support key organizations in their task of federating
a group of actors around a common agenda during the interim period. Part of this
responsibility also includes regular review and reporting on progress, which should be
considered in the Forum development process.
Communications
The World Water Forum cannot do without proper international and national
communications. The World Water Forum’s international communication strategy will be
focused on water professionals and those who are making water-related decisions around
the world. In addition, a wide range of stakeholders with a direct interest in water are
targeted. Finally, the public-at-large will need to be reached.
There is a major difference between the desired international communications and national
communications, which both require a comprehensive communication strategy. Clearly,
international communications will be mainly the responsibility of the World Water Forum -
P a g e 18 | 33
Secretariat Group in collaboration with the World Water Council, while national
communications will be mainly the responsibility of the National Committee. The World
Water Forum - Secretariat Group will ensure an overall international communications
strategy is established, not only for execution before and during the World Water Forum, but
also covering the period immediately after the World Water Forum event. These strategies
will address specific target audiences and communicate clear and consequential messages.
The Host Country will be responsible for funding both the national and the international
communications campaigns.
The overall communication strategy will thus be prepared by the World Water Forum -
Secretariat Group in coordination with the World Water Council, the International Steering
Committee, the National Committee and the other major working bodies. It will contract a
professional media agency and supervise the implementation of the strategy.
Announcements, final program and reporting

A number of documents will be necessary for the World Water Forum. The bid of the
candidate Host Country should indicate an interest and creativity for developing such
materials and should give budgetary indications for their creation.
The 1st announcement will be published within three months after the signing of the
agreement between the Host Country and the World Water Council. It will be produced in
print as well as made available on the dedicated website of the World Water Forum
(www.worldwaterforum.org) and the World Water Council. The World Water Forum domain
will be made available to the World Water Forum Secretariat Group by the World Water
Council.
The 2nd announcement will be presented in a similar way 12 months before the World Water
Forum. It presents the over-arching theme, the program priorities, an overview of the
unfolding preparatory process, the foreseen highlights of World Water Forum event,
opportunities for engagement and the Host Country and city attractions. It also includes
details about the registration process. As such, the 2nd announcement is a true ‘sales
brochure’ for the World Water Forum.
The 3rd announcement will be published two months before the World Water Forum. It
provides an overview of the event highlights, including substantive ‘hot issues’, some of the
emerging results of the preparatory process, opportunities for engagement and the Host
Country and Host City attractions.
A Final Program will be available at the World Water Forum event. The final program may be
electronic or paper based, and will contain all details of the entire event, excursions,
speakers etc. It will allow participants to navigate easily through the World Water Forum
venue and find their way to their learning experience, dialogue, policy meeting or network
event.
The final report(s) presenting an overview of the event and its main conclusions will be
published within 6 months after the World Water Forum and will be made available online to
the participants and sent to a limited audience. The World Water Forum - Secretariat Group
prepares all announcements and the final report in close coordination with the ISC, all
working bodies and the World Water Council.
Marketing and Sponsorship

Marketing and international communications for the World Water Forum are very much
connected. Communicating information on the preparatory process of the World Water
Forum, its draft agenda and the ways to engage will determine whether stakeholders will
P a g e 19 | 33
consider the World Water Forum preparation and attendance worth the investment of their
time, effort and money.
Therefore, all information about the World Water Forum needs to be carefully communicated
through a network of strategic partners. The Host Country must show willingness to
financially support the hiring of expertise to develop a marketing strategy aimed at
generating interest with future participants.
The National Committee will be responsible for securing sponsorship from national level
sponsors. The World Water Forum - Secretariat Group, in close cooperation with all parties
involved, will be responsible for securing international sponsors and donor support.
The placement of advertisements at the World Water Forum event venue will only be
allowed on the World Water Fair and World Water Expo grounds. Placements of logos of
sponsors will be permitted throughout the entire World Water Forum venue. A detailed
sponsor guide must be developed.
The long-term partnership with international sponsors and bi-lateral donors is a responsibility
of the World Water Council. The World Water Council will make available its marketing
expertise from previous World Water Forums.
Responsibilities
The marketing and sponsoring are overseen by the International Steering Committee and
will be led by the World Water Forum – Secretariat Group and supported by the World Water
Council. The National Committee will oversee the national marketing and sponsorship.
Logistics, venue, accommodation, transport

The World Water Forum requires facilities, in a single city, that offer:

ceremonies
setting
An adequate number of hotels must be located in close proximity to the World Water Forum
venue. A minimum capacity of 8,000 rooms must be available. The candidate Host Country
must present the most important hotel facilities, ranging from 5-star to budget hotels. Special
arrangements must be made to secure low-cost accommodations for at least 2,000
participants.
Block bookings for at least 3,000 participants must be made in different categories of hotels
within 3 months after the Host Country – World Water Council agreement has been signed.
The Host Country must satisfactorily assure the World Water Council that a ‘special rate’ is
P a g e 20 | 33
negotiated for hotel bookings. This ‘special rate’ must be significantly lower than the rates
offered by Internet travel agencies such as www.expedia.com and/or www.travelocity.com.
Daily transportation must be made available from the venue to the hotels on a shuttle-bus
basis and through public transport at no extra cost for the participants. Free registration or
significantly reduced registration fees could be offered to participants from developing
countries.
Although the working language at the World Water Forum is English, multi-language
interpretation and translation services for documents and sessions will have to be organized
during the Forum, but also during the preparation process.
The Host Country/City further makes available the venue as specified above including all
decoration, sign posting, insurance, security, catering and support staff required to operate
the facilities during the World Water Forum event.
Responsibilities
The World Water Forum – Secretariat Group has lead responsibilities to support all aspects
of the local venue, logistics, accommodation and transport and coordinates closely with the
National Committee and the World Water Council on these issues.
Professional Conference Organizer (PCO)

The World Water Forum - Secretariat Group could hire, in co-ordination with the National
Committee, a professional conference organizer (or organizers) made responsible for
logistical aspects of the World Water Forum event. This has proved to be extremely valuable
in the past. The PCO could, for example, ensure proper on-site registration and distribution
of participants’ badges, documents and other relevant materials. It could also be given
responsibilities for the organization of hotel accommodations and transportation services.
Responsibilities
The World Water Forum - Secretariat Group could choose to select a Professional
Conference Organizer and will co-ordinate this closely with the National Committee.
Participation and registration

It is a goal of the World Water Forum to encourage the widest possible participation in the
preparatory and event phases. However, in recognition that there are some groups who may
struggle financially to participate, a participants’ financial support program will be developed
for the World Water Forum by the National Committee and the World Water Forum -
Secretariat Group. This financial support program will be approved by the International
Steering Committee.
The registration of participants will be done through the World Water Forum online platform
or an equivalent professional registration tool. This process will offer an ‘early bird’
registration period of at least 6 months prior the World Water Forum registration opens.
During this period the registration fee is significantly lower than during the 6-month
registration period prior to the World Water Forum event. This allows all individuals and
organizations with limited means to use the pre-registration period to receive significant
benefits. A special registration discount of 30% will be offered to members of the World
Water Council.
To facilitate ongoing engagement for successive World Water Forums registrants will be
requested to indicate their agreement that their personal information be shared with the
World Water Council for all future World Water Forum communications purposes. Further,
the registrant database will be shared on a regular basis with the World Water Council
P a g e 21 | 33
during the preparatory phase, and a final clean version will be transferred to the Council after
the event phase.
Given the many different sessions and events that will form part of the World Water Forum
event phase, it will be important to develop and agree upon a methodology for recording the
actual level of participation. Proposals for recording participation will be agreed upon by the
Host Country and the World Water Council and approved by the International Steering
Committee.
Intellectual Property
The World Water Council is the guardian of the World Water Forum, its name, brand and
format. To this end the World Water Council has registered “World Water Forum” as an
international trademark.
After the event phase, it is expected that all necessary intellectual property is to be
transferred to the World Water Council as the institutional home of the World Water Forum.
Institutional Memory
It is also the World Water Council’s responsibility to ensure that previous experiences in
organizing a World Water Forum are not lost and are communicated to successive Host
Countries.
Application Process
Host Country
Any country in the world has the potential to host a World Water Forum. To this end, the first
stage of selecting a Host Country is an invitation, from the World Water Council, to all
nations to express their initial interest in hosting the Forum. This invitation provides potential
Host Countries with all the information that they require to submit an expression of interest
for the Forum. Following receipt of expressions of interest, the World Water Council will
arrange one or more information sessions to provide a prospective Host Country with all the
information that they require to submit a formal bid for the Forum.
Upon receipt of formal bids, the World Water Council undertakes a detailed evaluation of
each bid, including field visits as deemed necessary and appropriate. The findings of this
evaluation are then presented to the World Water Council Board of Governors who make the
final decision on the Host Country for the World Water Forum, on the provisional basis that a
contract can be successfully established for the hosting.
After a Host Country has been selected, the World Water Council will enter into a formal
agreement that will detail the specific arrangements for the World Water Forum. This
agreement will take into consideration the arrangements for mandatory elements of the
Forum, as well as the innovations that have been presented by the successful Host Country.
This formal agreement must be finalized in advance of the preceding World Water Forum.
This will allow for a formal handover between Host Countries to take place as part of the
formal closing ceremony of the preceding World Water Forum.
Host City
The Host Country will present in its bid an adequate location and services for the World
Water Forum, including a Host City and one specific venue.
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The final selection of a Host Country for the World Water Forum will include the selection of
a Host City. The selected Host City cannot be changed after the selection without the
agreement of both the World Water Council and the Host Country.
The Host City will be represented on the National Committee and actively supports all
components and phases of the World Water Forum. The Host City takes a leading role in
contributing to the Local and Regional Authorities political component.
Expression of Interest
Following broad dissemination of the Call for Expressions of Interest to the World Water
Council’s members, partners and contacts, it is sent to all countries via UN permanent
missions. A simple signed letter received by the WWC Headquarters before the given
deadline signals interest in pursuing the opportunity to host the World Water Forum. It is not,
however, a formal obligation to submit a bid.
Initial Evaluation
The Expressions of Interest are reviewed to make sure that they conform to the hosting
requirements, i.e. the Expression of Interest is presented or endorsed by a representative of
the central Government, and a host city is indicated. The Board of Governors may choose to
define a short list of candidates at this stage with which to pursue further discussions.
Information Session
Typically, an information session will be arranged between the time the expression of
interest is received and the receipt of the final bid document. Each candidate delegation will
be received separately by a selection committee. The guidelines and the list of required
elements are reviewed during the meeting using a standardized presentation to make sure
that candidates have a good understanding of what is expected of them and how their bid
will be evaluated. They are given the opportunity to ask any questions they like concerning
the drafting of their bid.
Formal Bid Document

As all elements are considered binding commitments, it is vital that all relevant
authorizations are obtained prior to the submission of the final bid document to the World
Water Council. At a minimum, the final candidature, to be delivered in paper and electronic
versions by the deadline, should include the following:
Concept and Programme

a) A preliminary “Overarching Theme” for the World Water Forum and its link to the
host country and host city;
b) Demonstrated understanding of the general objectives and process mechanisms;
c) Political context in which this event would take place;
Logistical and Technical Aspects

d) Name of the host city, a description of the host city and a description of previous
events of significance organised in and by the city;
e) Name and all details of the proposed venue at a minimum responding to the
conditions provided in the guidelines;
f) Details on the accommodations in and around the venue (per 1 – 5 star
category);
g) Details on transport capacities to and from the venue, including:
a. Name and capacity of the local airport
b. The distance from the airport to the venue
P a g e 23 | 33
c. Available international flights and destinations
d. Local transportation;
h) Description of current security in the host city and the proposed venue;
i) Proposed handling of visa procedures and registration options;
Communication and Marketing

j) Existing relations with general and business media locally and internationally;
k) Names of potential or confirmed national and international supporting agencies,
sponsors, organizations or other sources of expected income;
Organisation & Support

l) Elements of the proposed organizational model/management structure;
m) A letter of support signed by the highest national authority;
n) Supporting letter(s) from a high-level representative of the host city;
o) A list of national organisations to be involved in the National Committee;
Finance
p) A realistic, balanced budget (in Euros) with justification and a description of the
expected expenditures and sources of revenue;
Site visits
Site visits are arranged following the receipt of the formal bid document. These visits serve
to review the information proposed in the bid document and carry out a technical inspection
of the venue, but also to seek specific information on the proposed Host City’s technical
capacity in terms of hotel capacity, transport, security, engagement of the city, and
evaluation reports of previous meetings held in the city. In addition, it is helpful to meet
influential personalities, such as the Mayor and his staff, Representatives of the Region or
State, Minister(s) to be involved and their staff, High-level individuals from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Representatives of key water-related organizations, Parliamentarian groups,
etc. All costs for site visits are assumed by the candidate, on the basis of business class
travel.
Detailed Evaluation
The Selection Committee carries out a stringent evaluation process whereby all aspects of
the Forum that were presented in the bid and during the technical visits (Concept and
Program; Logistical and Technical; Communications and Marketing; Organization; and
Finance) are graded for each candidate on a scale from 1 to 4. The Selection Committee
then meets and discusses the outcome of the evaluation and drafts a report to the Board of
Governors.
Selection of Host Country

After the Selection Committee presents its report during a formal meeting of the Board of
Governors and all issues are sufficiently discussed, a vote by secret ballot is carried out,
overseen by an ad-hoc Voting Committee. Candidates may or may not be invited to be
present during deliberations.
Framework Agreement
After the selection of a Host Country by the World Water Council, both parties will enter into
a Framework Agreement. A template agreement is at Appendix I, and this will form the basis
of negotiation.
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Formal Handover
During the closing ceremony of the preceding World Water Forum, a formal handover
ceremony will take place. This ceremony marks the effective beginning of the preparatory
phase for the next World Water Forum.
For More Information

If you require any further information or clarification in regard to these guidelines, or any
other matter relating to the World Water Forum, please contact:
World Water Council

wwc@worldwatercouncil.org
+33 (0)4.91.99.41.00
P a g e 25 | 33
Appendix I – Model Framework Agreement
Framework Agreement for the [number] World Water Forum
________________________________________________________________________
I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Historical Background
On [date], the Board of Governors of the World Water Council approved to engage negotiations with
the [Host Country] for the organization of the [number] World Water Forum in [year]. This Forum will
follow the World Water Fora of Marrakech, The Hague, Kyoto, Mexico City, Istanbul, Marseille,
Daegu, and Brasilia.
Sound, constructive and trustworthy cooperation between the host country/city and the World Water
Council is key to the preparation and to the success of the World Water Forum. Since its first edition
organized in Morocco in 1997, the World Water Forum has developed a distinct and evolving format in
response to new insights from previous World Water Fora, the experience of the Host Country and
developments in water and related sectors, in close collaboration with the previously involved
countries, to ensure it continues to act and develop as a dynamic marketplace of opinions, debates,
networking and learning around water-related issues and solutions.
The World Water Council who is the guardian of the World Water Forum, its name, brand and format
has registered “World Water Forum” as an international trademark that remains the property of the
World Water Council.
It is also the World Water Council’s responsibility to ensure that previous experiences in organizing a
World Water Forum are not lost and are communicated to the [Host Country] for the benefit of future
World Water Fora. Given the distinct format, brand and prestige of the World Water Forum, the
cooperation between the [Host Country] and the World Water Council demands clarity, transparency
and professionalism. It is through this that we can ensure that the World Water Forum is protected
and enhanced while a win-win situation is created for both partners.
1.2 Purpose of this Framework Agreement

This Framework Agreement establishes the overall objectives and principles underlying the planning,
financing and execution of the [number] World Water Forum as a joint effort between the World Water
Council and the [Host Country], based upon the “World Water Forum Guidelines” and the bid
document provided by the [Host Country], which remain an integral foundation and point of reference
for the Forum organization. This Framework Agreement specifies the way in which [Host Country] and
the World Water Council will cooperate in the [number] World Water Forum preparation, organization
and follow-up. The World Water Forum in all its components is executed in three phases: a
preparatory phase comprised of a three-year process prior to the event, a one-week event, and a
follow-up phase of at least six months.
II PARTIES TO THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

This Agreement is established between:
The World Water Council (hereinafter referred to as the "WWC"), and
The [Host Country], (hereinafter referred to as the “[Host Country]”), and
III OVERALL PRINCIPLES FOR THE [number] WORLD WATER FORUM

3.1 Definition of the World Water Forum
The World Water Council represents a multi-stakeholder platform devoted to the advancement and
resolution of key water issues requiring the involvement of governmental, scientific, technical and
advocacy representatives. The credibility of the World Water Forum vitally depends on the
involvement of a wide diversity of stakeholders from the entire world without discrimination and with
the freedom of expression and opinion of all, both in the preparatory process and at the event.
P a g e 26 | 33
The [Host Country] proposal for the [number] World Water Forum was inspired by the [specify the
particular inspiration or interests of the Host Country]. Therefore, it is expected that all of the Forum’s
components and processes should consider these principles.
The World Water Forum should advance the aims of the World Water Council and the world water
community in addressing a limited number of challenging water issues. The Forum should accomplish
this by facilitating and promoting a multi-faceted discussion and debate open to all stakeholders
before and during the Forum, resulting in political mobilization, a broader awareness of the issues of
water management and a resolve to take actions to solve those issues.
The Forum, thus, aims to:

 Engage stakeholders in mobilising debate on and action for water, open to all parties in
developing a shared vision;
 Provide a platform for all stakeholders to exchange, learn together, develop partnerships and
catalyse concrete actions for improved water resources and services development and
management;
 Engage policy and decision-makers in a dialogue to establish commitments for improved
water resources and service development;
 Increase awareness for water issues towards the public-at-large, in particular through the
media.
To support the objectives of the World Water Council, the Forum and world water community, the
Forum is made up of the following primary components:
 An integrated Thematic-Political-Regional-Citizen content development process;
 The Fair and Expo: providing a space for all stakeholders to showcase their contributions;
 [non-mandatory components]
In addition, other events are organized throughout the preparation period and during the World Water
Forum event, offering additional opportunities for all stakeholders to meet, learn, debate and present
issues, policies and state-of-the-art solutions for efficient and sustainable water resources and
services management and to communicate this to a worldwide audience.
3.2 Operating Principles of the [number] World Water Forum

 The [number] World Water Forum is an event co-organized through a strong partnership
between the WWC as lead organizer and the [Host Country] and lead-partner.
 All key activities will be developed and managed through the allocation and sharing of
responsibilities.
 Each party will supply its best effort to come to a mutual agreement on all issues in a friendly,
trustworthy and collaborative spirit.
 The [number] World Water Forum will promote cohesion, openness and will encourage
dialogue, tolerance, mutual respect and equity.
 The [number] World Water Forum will enhance the profile and reputation of the WWC as a
multi- stakeholder organization dedicated to furthering the resolution of key global water
issues.
 The [number] World Water Forum will recognize the profile, position and reputation of the
[Host Country] as a leader in water resources development and management.
 The [Host Country] bid has proposed an overarching theme of "[theme]" to be further
developed and approved by both parties.
 The [number] World Water Forum organizers and partners are committed to minimizing the
impact of the organization of the Forum on the environment through efforts integrated into all
the Forum's components and preparation.
The Forum will be held during the week of [date]. The agenda for some of the main preparatory
activities of the Forum is the following:
i. The kick-off meeting will be organized in [Host Country] at least 24 months prior to the [number]
World Water Forum.
ii. A pre-program of the Forum week will be available 18 months prior to the event.
iii. A second stakeholders consultation meeting will be held at least 14 months prior to the
[number] World Water Forum.
P a g e 27 | 33
IV GOVERNANCE AND WORKING BODIES
The governance and working bodies will be initiated within nine months of the signature of this
Agreement. They include the following:
4.1 The International Steering Committee (ISC)

The signatory parties agree to create an International Steering Committee (ISC), which is the ultimate
decision-making body of the Forum. The ISC’s main responsibilities are the following:
 Addressing overall strategic orientations for the [number] World Water Forum;
 Guiding and supervising the work and activities of the working bodies;
 Determining the priorities for the Forum following an inclusive consultation process;
 Approving the logistics of the Forum week including entrance fees for Forum and Expo/Fair;
 Approving the budget and supervising its execution.
The ISC will be established following the signature of this Framework Agreement and will consist of a
maximum number of 20 members, 50% appointed by the WWC and 50% appointed by [Host
Country], including the co-chairs of the major working bodies. The ISC is co-chaired by the WWC and
the [Host Country].
4.2 The ISC Bureau

A Bureau is created within the ISC. It consists of 3 members from WWC and 3 members from the
[Host Country], including the two ISC co-chairs. The Bureau is responsible for preparing and
executing the decisions of the ISC. It oversees the work of the Secretariat of the [number] World
Water Forum.
4.3 The National Organizing Committee

The National Organizing Committee is comprised of representatives of national institutions involved in
water related issues that are appointed by the [Host Country]. It coordinates the efforts of the Host
Country and Host City on all aspects of the World Water Forum. It ensures the organization of
national events before, during and after the World Water Forum event. It will be independent of the
ISC and will indicate its representatives to the ISC and its commissions.
4.4 Working Bodies

Working bodies will be established to prepare a successful Forum. All working bodies will have two
co-chairs. They will have a maximum number of 8 members, including the co-chairs, 50% appointed
by the WWC and 50% appointed by the [Host Country]. They can invite additional experts if
necessary. The working bodies are advisory bodies that report to the ISC, which makes all final
decisions. Each working body will be supported by the [number] World Water Forum Secretariat.
Actions pertaining to each working body will be carried out in a timeframe depending on necessity and
priority.
The specific tasks of each working body will be continually updated throughout the preparatory
process, if necessary. The working bodies will establish a close coordination with each other and with
the ISC throughout the preparatory process and the execution of the [number] World Water Forum.
[Insert purpose, focus and detail of proposed working bodies and non-mandatory element]
4.5 The Secretariat of the [number] World Water Forum

Based in [Host City], the Secretariat acts as the implementing body of the [number] World Water
Forum. The Secretariat will be initiated within six months after signing this Framework Agreement
according to the necessary institutional arrangements that will ensure a status for the [number] World
Water Forum Secretariat that will allow it to recruit staff, have a bank account, receive and disburse
money from national and non-national sources, receive and spend government subsidies and
financial resources from third parties. Operations will commence at least 30 months prior to the 8th
World Water Forum. It will be comprised of an Executive Director and staff. All key personnel will be in
place 24 month prior to the [number] World Water Forum and will cease activity approximately 6
months after the [number] World Water Forum.
P a g e 28 | 33
The Executive Director (ED), who should be fluent in English and [languages], should understand the
institutional landscape in [Host Country] and should have experience in the organization of
international events such as the Forum. In addition, the ED for the [number] World Water Forum will
be a dedicated full-time position with sufficient seniority to readily access the appropriate decision-
making levels within partner institutions. He/she will be responsible for the implementation of ISC
decisions and the coordination of all activities in support of the [number] World Water Forum, in
accordance with this Framework Agreement. His appointment is approved by the ISC Bureau, and
he/she reports to the ISC co-chairs.
The Secretariat is composed of a mix of international and [Host Country] staff, and staff members will
offer a wide range of competencies. As the working language of the [number] World Water Forum is
English, staff should be able to communicate adequately in English and [languages]. Within the
Secretariat, a dedicated team is established to provide specific support to each of the working bodies
after the kick-off meeting.
Logistics, Finance, Fair and Exhibition, Cultural and Social Activities and Prizes will be coordinated by
the Secretariat of the [number] World Water Forum under the guidance of the ISC. The Secretariat will
also manage other innovative programs as described in the bid document (e.g. Communications and
Marketing Committee, etc.) in a similar manner. Line management responsibilities of staff working on
issues related to Commissions will remain with the Executive Director of the [number] World Water
Forum Secretariat. An overall work plan with critical paths, budget, and resource strategy related to
these activities and those of the Commissions will be prepared by the ED and approved by the ISC.
V COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

5.1 Communications
Communications is a major issue in the organization of the [number] World Water Forum. The parties
agree to prepare national and international communications, PR and marketing strategies and plans
together. Some of these tasks may be outsourced to professional structures. A major difference is to
be made between the desired international communications and national communications, which both
require a comprehensive communication strategy. Clearly, international communications will be
mainly the responsibility of the [number] World Water Forum Secretariat in collaboration with the
WWC. National communications will be mainly the responsibility of the [number] World Water Forum
Secretariat in collaboration with the National Organizing Committee.
The [number] World Water Forum Secretariat will ensure an overall international communications
strategy is established and approved, with its corresponding budget allocation, by the ISC, not only for
execution before and during the [number] World Water Forum, but also covering the period
immediately after the [number] World Water Forum event. The national communications strategy
should be established and approved by the National Organizing Committee and should be in
consonance with the international communications strategy. These strategies will address specific
target audiences and communicate clear and consequential messages. Funding for both the national
and the international communications campaigns will come from the [number] Forum budget.
Four major target groups are identified: decision-makers for water-related issues, water professionals,
stakeholders with an interest in water and the wider public.
The Secretariat will propose at least 24 months prior to the Forum the communication tools to support
the preparatory process and the Forum, such multi-lingual websites, Facebook, Twitter, among
others. A collaborative internet platform will be open to support the work of the Commissions and their
working groups during the preparatory process.
The use of the Forum’s logo and brand name in any form are regulated and subject to approval of the
ISC. Intellectual property produced by the Forum and its working bodies will remain in the public
domain.
5.2 Marketing and Sponsorship

The marketing and sponsorship efforts will be led by the [number] World Water Forum Secretariat and
supported by the World Water Council and the National Organizing Committee and overseen by the
ISC.
P a g e 29 | 33
Marketing and international communications for the [number] World Water Forum are very much
connected. Communicating information on the preparatory process of the [number] World Water
Forum, its draft agenda and the ways to engage will determine whether stakeholders will consider the
[number] World Water Forum preparation and attendance worth the investment of their time, effort
and money.
Therefore, all information about the Forum needs to be carefully communicated through a network of
strategic partners. A participant sponsorship program will be developed for the [number] World Water
Forum by the National Committee and the [number] World Water Forum Secretariat. The National
Committee will be responsible for securing sponsorship from national level sponsors. The [number]
World Water Forum Secretariat, in close cooperation with all parties involved, will be responsible for
international sponsor and donor support.
The placement of advertisements at the [number] World Water Forum event venue will only be
allowed on the World Water Fair and World Water Expo grounds. Placements of logos of sponsors
will be permitted throughout the entire [number] World Water Forum venue within defined
circumstances. A detailed sponsor guide must be approved by the ISC.
5.3 Announcements, final program and reporting

The [number] World Water Forum Secretariat will prepare all announcements under the supervision of
the ISC. The following documents will be produced:
 The 1st announcement will be published within three months after the signing of the
agreement between the WWC and the [Host Country]. It will be produced in print copies as
well as made available on the dedicated website of the [number] World Water Forum and on
the WWC website. The [number] World Water Forum domain will be made available to the
[number] World Water Forum Secretariat by the WWC (www.worldwaterforum[number].org).
 A pre-program of the Forum week will be available 18 months prior to the event.
 The 2nd announcement will be presented in a similar way 14 months before the [number]
World Water Forum. It presents the overarching theme, the program themes, an overview of
the unfolding preparatory process, the foreseen highlights of [number] World Water Forum
event, as well as opportunities for engagement and the Host Country and City attractions. It
also includes details about the registration process and is to be considered as a true ‘sales
brochure’ for the Forum.
 The 3rd announcement and provisional program will be published two months before the
[number] World Water Forum. It provides an overview of the event highlights, including
programmatic ‘hot issues’, some of the emerging results of the preparatory process,
opportunities for engagement and the Host Country and Host City attractions.
 A Final Program will be available on electronic and online versions at the [number] World
Water Forum event and will contain all details of the entire event, excursions, speakers etc. It
will also allow participants to navigate easily through the [number] World Water Forum venue
and find their way to their learning experience, dialogue, policy meeting or network event.
 The Final Report presenting an overview of the event and its conclusions will be published
within 6 months after the [number] World Water Forum and will be made available online to
the participants and sent to a limited audience. It will include an Executive Summary to be
approved by the WWC Board of Governors.
 The organizers will consider taking steps to render the [number] World Water Forum a Zero-
paper conference to address sustainability concerns.
VI LOGISTICS
The main events of the [number] World Water Forum will take place at the [venue], both in [Host City].
P a g e 30 | 33
An IT platform to facilitate wide participation is created within one year of the signature of this
Framework Agreement. A registration system should be opened one year prior to the [number] World
Water Forum. Following the event, the WWC and the [Host Country] will take all the necessary
measures to ensure their continuity after the [number] World Water Forum. This will include the
transfer of all contacts and registration databases to the WWC, with full rights to future use.
Simultaneous interpretation in at least [languages] will be ensured for the Opening and Closing
Ceremonies and the Ministerial Conference. The official languages of the Forum are [languages] and
English. Simultaneous interpretation for other languages and sessions will be subject to discussion
and evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages, keeping in mind the need to give voice to
populations that do not often have the opportunity to express themselves. Forum documents will be
made available at least in English and [languages].
The [Host Country] will facilitate visa issuance for bona fide Forum participants.
Agreements may be concluded with third parties to ensure a good execution of the Forum operations,
notably in terms of logistics. They include, but are not limited to rental of the venue, block bookings for
hotels, catering. Part of the Forum’s logistics may be entrusted to one or several professional
conference organisers (PCO’s) hired by the Forum Secretariat. While executing the agreements, the
following should be ensured:
 Executive rooms and offices will be made available to the WWC on the conference premises.
 WWC members will benefit from a significant discount in Forum registration fees (30% for 5
participants per organization) and members of the Board of Governors will benefit from free
entry to the Forum.
 Free shuttle bus service between the airport, the venue and the major hotels will be offered to
Forum participants.
 Lunch and coffee breaks will also be made available to Forum participants free of charge.
 The Forum will serve tap water, rather than bottled water, at its sessions.
VII RESOURCES AND PLANNING

7.1 Forum Finances-Basics
The Forum is to be viewed as its own venture, jointly conducted by the WWC and the [Host Country],
with its own budget.
Three basic principles prevail:

 The costs related to Forum activities undertaken by the WWC and the [Host Country] are to
be recognized and provided for in the overall budget for the Forum;
 The budget is to be transparent and balanced.
 The costs associated with the [number] Forum are listed in the worksheet attached to this
Agreement.
The [number] Forum endeavour will benefit from tax exempt status in accordance with [Host Country]
regulations and in line with the Forum’s bidding requirements.
7.2 Forum Finances - Expenses

In terms of expenses, both parties agree that the direct costs borne by the Forum Secretariat in [Host
Country] and the WWC Headquarters in the preparation of the Forum are to be recognized in the
Budget, which is initially estimated at 31.5M€ including the WWC fees and necessary taxes. The
amounts dedicated to the main activities of the Forum are listed in Annex I. The budget and cash flow
plans will be submitted regularly to the ISC for decision and will be administered by the ED.
Expenditures over 100,000€ must be approved by the ISC Bureau. A guide for budgetary
management principles will be drafted.
In considering expenses of the [number] World Water Forum, it must also be recognized that the
Preparatory Process, jointly executed by the WWC and the [Host Country], is an integral part and
expense of the Forum and requires financial mechanisms to support it. Likewise, similar financial
mechanisms are also to be applied for the follow-up phase of the Forum.
P a g e 31 | 33
Sponsorship of participants from developing countries will be offered, the detailed procedure and total
number of which will be established subsequently and approved by the ISC.
The [Host Country] will appoint a reputable international accountancy firm to audit the finances of the
[number] World Water Forum Secretariat.
7.3 Forum Finances-Income

The [number] World Water Forum will be financed through a variety of sources, including public,
private and conference revenues. In order to secure the total budget of the [number] World Water
Forum, the [Host Country] with the assistance of the WWC, will make its best efforts to prepare and
execute the budget reasonably and professionally. The [Host Country] is responsible for providing a
guarantee that the minimum expenses needed to organise the [number] Forum will be covered.
Cash flow schedules are required for the implementation of the budget as an integral part of the
budget preparations. The [Host Country] will ensure that a proper cash flow be available to initiate and
continue the process of the [number] World Water Forum.
Fundraising remains the responsibility of the [Host Country], with advisory support provided by the
WWC. A fundraising task force will be established following the signature of this Framework
Agreement. A fundraising plan and a detailed sponsor guide will be developed as soon as possible.
The sponsorship and partnership strategy shall be approved by the ISC. Funding may be sought from
donors to support work on key issues, which may also be managed as an independent project outside
of the Forum budget.
7.4 Fees paid to the World Water Council

The [Host Country] will pay the fees for the right to hold the [number] World Water Forum event, in the
total amount of [amount], according to the following schedule:
[insert payment schedule]
This amount represents the value of the World Water Forum brand and image and the access
provided by the World Water Council to its world-wide network of members, partners, experts and
practitioners, similar to a licensing fee in return for the right to hold the World Water Forum. The WWC
will use these resources to support all of its activities and the achievement of its triennial strategy,
including the World Water Forum, and justification of their use will not be required.
VIII IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT AND RESOLUTION OF

DISPUTES
 This Framework Agreement is effective upon signature of the Parties. It marks the definitive
consent by the WWC for the hosting and co-organisation of the [number] World Water Forum
by the [Host Country].
 The mutual understanding on the organization of the Forum will be based on this Framework
Agreement but will evolve dynamically according to all registered decisions proposed by the
International Steering Committee.
 Specific contracts will be used with third parties.
 In the event of disagreement during the execution of this Framework Agreement, the parties
agree that the [Host Country] and the President of the WWC will resolve the dispute, using
whatever means they feel are most appropriate. Any dispute that cannot be solved will be
settled amicably through mutual consultation.
 A notice of three months must be given to each of the signatory parties in the event of
cancellation of the present contract.
This Agreement, written in 4 originals in English and [language], is entered into on [date] in [location]
by:
P a g e 32 | 33
On behalf of the World Water Council:
President of the World Water Council
On behalf of the [Host Country]:
ANNEX I (*)
Table 1- Revenues (€ 1,000)
Source of Revenue [Year] [Year] [Year] [Year] Total
Government
Private Partnerships
Registration Fees
Fair and Exhibition
Total
Table 2 - Expenditures (€ 1,000)

Expenditure Item [Year] [Year] [Year] [Year] TOTAL
Thematic Program
Political Program
Regional Program
Citizens' Forum
Forum Sustainability
Communications and Marketing
General Programming and Specific
Programs
Governance
Administration and Technology
Fair and Exhibition
WWC Contribution
Assistance to Participants
Contingencies (5%)
Total
(*) Estimated revenues and expenditures
P a g e 33 | 33

World Water Forum Guidelines: Essential Objectives and Components

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World Water Forum Guidelines: Essential Objectives and Components

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World Water Forum

The World Water Forum at a glance

The essential objectives of the World Water Forum are to:

1) Thematic Program - providing the substantive underpinning on water issues of critical

 an existing, well maintained, modern venue in one location

31 December 2019 Final Deadline for Expressions of Interest

5-6 February 2020 Deliberations at WWC 71st Board of Governors Meeting

31 May 2020 Deadline for receiving final bid documents

 entrants to the Expo and Fair

Given practical and operational considerations it is difficult to uniquely identify individuals, as

Shaping the World Water Forum

Outcomes of Previous Forums

Interests of Host Country

Contemporary Water Issues

Overall Forum Theme

Mar 2022 Kick-off meeting/First stakeholder consultation meeting

Jan 2023 Second stakeholder consultation meeting

Mar 2024 World Water Forum event

It is suggested that a mechanism be established during the intervening period between

Before the Event

During the Event

After the Event

Content Development Process

A large number of stakeholders must be involved in the framework definition and

Before the Event

During the Event

After the Event

Fair and Expo

The essential characteristics of the World Water Forum venue are:

Balancing the budget

World Water Council licensing fee

International Steering Committee

The membership of the ISC is composed of a maximum of 20 members:

Previous organizers of World Water Fora may be invited as external advisors.

Other Working Bodies or Task Forces

Pilot Groups, Action Groups and Consultative Groups

World Water Council - Secretariat

Announcements, final program and reporting

Marketing and Sponsorship

Logistics, venue, accommodation, transport

 an existing, well maintained, modern venue in one location

Professional Conference Organizer (PCO)

Participation and registration

Formal Bid Document

Concept and Programme

Logistical and Technical Aspects

Communication and Marketing

Organisation & Support

Selection of Host Country

For More Information

World Water Council

1.2 Purpose of this Framework Agreement

II PARTIES TO THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

The World Water Council (hereinafter referred to as the "WWC"), and

The [Host Country], (hereinafter referred to as the “[Host Country]”), and

III OVERALL PRINCIPLES FOR THE [number] WORLD WATER FORUM

The Forum, thus, aims to:

3.2 Operating Principles of the [number] World Water Forum

4.1 The International Steering Committee (ISC)

4.2 The ISC Bureau

4.3 The National Organizing Committee

4.4 Working Bodies