ASIA-PACIFIC WATER FORUM

RULES AND PROCEDURES(AS OF FEBRUARY 22, 2007)“During the regional process leading up to the 4th World Water Forum, it became
clear that several water-related issues and challenges were common across the entire
Asia-Pacificregion.

Furthermore,

with

the

increasedinteractions

in

the

implementation of follow-up activities to the 3rd World Water Forum held in Kyoto inMarch 2003, stakeholders in the region quickly recognized that the region's diversity
was not an obstacle but rather an asset to the identification and adoption of solutions
to specific water issues. Based upon this common understanding, we will establish a
new network, the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, to work in complete solidarity to identify
and adopt solutions to water issues in the region.”
Joint Declaration issued by the Water Ministers of the Asia-Pacific Region
Fourth World Water Forum, Mexico City, March 21 2006

This document outlines a short yet comprehensive set of rules and procedures that arereflective of the cooperative spirit in which the APWF was founded.

Its purpose is toset a general framework that will help guide the cooperative activities of the APWF as its
members strive towards meeting its objectives.

1Working in Solidarity, Focusing on SubstanceThe 2006 Joint Declaration captures the tremendous spirit of friendship, collaborationand commitment that echoed throughout the Asia-Pacific region during the months andyears leading up the 4th World Water Forum.

In calling for the creation of the APWF

that would work “in complete solidarity”, water ministers, international organisations
and stakeholders from across the region sought to create a mechanism through which
they could work together, effectively and cohesively, in order to implement solutions tothe regions’ most pressing water challenges.
Since its inception, the APWF has focused on matters of substance by fostering
activities under each of the five Key Result Areas and by seeking commitments at thehighest political levels in order to achieve progress under each of the three Priority
Themes.
After all, the goal of the APWF is not to create an additional bureaucracy or a newadministration, but to “contribute to sustainable water management in order to achieve
the MDGs in Asia and the Pacific by capitalizing on the region’s diversity and rich historyof experience in dealing with water as a fundamental part of the human existence.”

The APWF’s Guiding Principals
The APWF is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan, non-political network guided
by the principals of inclusivity, openness and flexibility.

It will be supported by anappropriate governance superstructure with an optimal delegation of responsibility to
the contributing member organizations for the delivery of agreed products and servicesof high quality and practical value.

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GOVERNANCE OF THE APWF
The governance structure for APWF will be based on a highly participatory bottom-up
approach, supported by a light managerial and administrative structure responsible forcoordinating APWF activities.

All decisions of the APWF and the Governing

Council shall be made by consensus.

To the extent possible, all groups orcommittees established by the APWF shall be inclusive and open to any interested
members who may wish to participate.

President
The strategic direction of the APWF will be guided by the President of the APWF, Mr.
Yoshiro Mori, President of the Japan Water Forum.

Governing Council
The Governing Council is to be kept small.

It currently consists of the Chair, Mr.

Tommy Koh, Ambassador- At-Large of Singapore, and the two Vice-Chairs, Ms. ErnaWitoelar, the UN Special Ambassador for Millennium Development Goals in Asia andthe Pacific, and Mr. Ravi Narayanan, the former Chief Executive of WaterAid.

They

have the power to make decisions, which are made by consensus. The meetings ofthe Governing Council are to be open and inclusive.

Therefore, the leaders of thethree Priority Themes; the leaders of the five KRAs; the five sub-regional coordinators
may attend the meetings.

Any other interested members may also attend thesemeetings as observers.

Secretariat
The Japan Water Forum (JWF) will take on the responsibility of hosting and staffing theSecretariat of the APWF, whose role will be to execute the APWF’s work plan, tomanage the central database and website, to coordinate network services, and toconvene the meetings of the Governing Council.

Sub-regional Coordinators
The Sub-regional Coordinators are the organizations in the five sub-regions that
represented the Asia-Pacific during the preparatory process leading up to the 4th World
Water forum and who prepared the Regional Document that lead to the Ministerial3

Declaration and, ultimately, to the creation of the APWF.

The Coordinators will becalled upon for assistance in linking the various activities undertaken in the context ofthe five KRA’s and the three Priority Themes with stakeholders in their Sub-region, fromthe ground level through that of government leaders.

Lead Organizations
There are two types of Lead Organizations involved in the APWF: those leading
activities under the five KRAs; and those guiding progress under the three Priority
Themes. Like the Sub-regional coordinators, both types of Lead Organizations shalloperate on a voluntary basis and must be willing and able to commit the resources
necessary to cover their active participation.

They must also be part of a wide networkof local practitioners, with access to decision-makers, and are thus able to build
linkages between the grass roots and governmental levels.

Member Organizations
The APWF membership will be open to various groups in order to cover a broad anddiverse constituency willing to work together to achieve water for all.

There are fivecategories in the APWF membership: 1) national, regional, and provincial agencies
which are in charge of water provision / policy development/ management, 2)
institutions and universities which contribute knowledge to address water issues, 3)
CSOs and communities which are responsible

for water provision/advocacy, 4) privatecompanies/ corporations which contribute to water, including through corporate social
responsibility activities, and 5) media institutions which support the objectives of theAPWF.

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