International solidarity mechanism in water sector

Countries' representatives and experts who took part in the international seminar on water, held on June 28-29, 2011, worked out a draft project on setting up an international mechanism of solidarity in the water field, called "One percent water for the achievement of the Millennium Objectives for Development." This mechanism aims to ease the technical and financial partnership relations between the developed countries of the North, which possess important water resources, and the developing countries of the South, which do not master new technologies. Concretely, the involved countries are called upon dedicate 1% of the budget devoted to water resources on the local and regional level for the creation of sanitation projects and drinkable water. This project, to be looked at during the 6th World Water Forum to be held in March 2012, in Marseilles, France, identifies the main axes for implementing this mechanism, the list of participants and the mission to be assigned to the local authorities. Mr. Chedli Fazzani, Executive Director of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), said that the countries concerned by this experience are called on to establish decentralised water management systems, and to grant the local authorities broad powers in implementing and managing these programmes.