Second WCD Forum Meeting
Sharing the Knowledge - Charting the Future
April 6-8, 2000 - Cape Town, South Africa
Annotated Agenda
Thursday 6th April 2000
The Chairman of the WCD was pleased to invite all the Forum members to join a visit to Robben Island where President Mandela spent many years in prison. The island is currently a museum and is open to the public. The tour was guided by Ahmed Kathrada, a prisoner who spent 27 years incarcerated on the island and who provided a personal account of this period.
15:00 Registration of participants at the WCD Secretariat office in Breakwater Lodge
16:30 Assemble for departure to Robben Island at the embarkation point, Waterfront
17:00 Departure to Robben Island
20:00 Return to Waterfront
An informal reception was organised at the Waterfront on return from Robben Island.
Individual arrangements for dinner.
Friday 7th April 2000
08:30 Registration
Participants were asked to register prior to the meeting in the hall of the meeting venue in the Breakwater Lodge.
Session 1
The WCD Knowledge Base - A 2-Year Process of Research and Dialogue
09:00 Introductory remarks (Prof Kader Asmal, Chair WCD)
09:15 The Work Programme: Integrating knowledge and perspectives (A. Steiner, Secretary General)
09:30 Presentation of emerging findings from the work programme
- Case study overview (L. Haas, WCD Secretariat)
- Country Studies overview (S. Parasuraman, WCD Secretariat)
- Thematic reviews analysis (J. Bird, WCD Secretariat)
- Cross-check survey (B. Aylward, WCD Secretariat)
- Consultations / Submissions (S. Hussain, WCD Secretariat)
10:30 Tea/Coffee
Session 2
Initial Forum Reflections on the Emerging Knowledge Base
11:00 A number of Forum members who have been actively involved in individual parts of the work programme were invited to make 5 minute presentations on their impressions of the WCD work programme and process.
Plenary discussion of the knowledge base : feedback from Forum members.
12:45 Lunch
Session 3
Taking a Closer Look at the Knowledge Base - Questions and Answers
14:00 Break into working groups to discuss findings of the knowledge base and to clarify and share emerging issues.
Participants allocated themselves to working groups prior to the session.
- Working Group 1 : Social issues (S. Parasuraman, M. Niasse)
- Working Group 2 : Environmental issues ( J. Skinner)
- Working Group 3 : Economic and financial issues (B. Aylward, C.Pretorius)
- Working Group 4 : Options assessment (J. Bird, B. Oud)
- Working Group 5 : Institutional and governance issues (S Khagram, L.Haas)
15:30 Tea/Coffee
Session 4
Building on the Commission - What Comes Next ?
16 :00 Presentation of "Beyond the Commission". A discussion paper on options for follow-up and feedback from the Forum subgroup meeting held on 6th April.
16:30 The meeting broke into four working groups to hold initial discussions on the "post-WCD" scenarios and options. This issue was brought back to plenary on Saturday afternoon at 14.00.
Commissioners will chair each working group, supported by the Secretariat. The Secretariat suggested allocation of participants to ensure a range of views in each group.
- Working Group A (Chair : J Cariño, A Steiner, S Parasuraman)
- Working Group B (Chair : D Blackmore. L Haas, J Skinner)
- Working Group C (Chair : J. Veltrop. S Khagram, B Aylward)
- Working Group D (Chair : M Patkar. J Bird, M Niasse)
17:45 Close
18:00 Informal round table discussion on working together towards launching the final report for those Forum members who expresseded interest in participating actively in this process.
Saturday 8th April 2000
Session 5
Working Groups on Strategic Questions and Issues
08:30 This session laid out a number of key questions that arose from the knowledge base. Each working group was informed by a short briefing paper drafted by the Secretariat that drew on the findings of the whole work programme to present a key issue for discussion. These issues were not exclusive, and were not the only items on the agenda of the Commission.
Working Group W
How can compliance and good practice be promoted?
Experience shows that policies/regulations in themselves do not guarantee compliance and good practice. Where and why are these requirements not adhered to? What strategies, mechanisms and instruments can WCD propose to improve compliance and best practice ? How do and can financiers influence the degree of compliance?
Chair : Deborah Moore
Facilitators : A Steiner and S Khagram
Working Group X
Options Assessment - the need for a level playing field.
Good options assessment is a key to meeting societies needs with the best available option. Obstacles to this process exist in both regulated and command economies, as well as those in transition, and this range of governance circumstances provides the backdrop to the discussion. What are current obstacles to options assessment , What criteria can be used to judge whether policy development and planning processes include consideration of a broad range of options on an equal footing ? What incentive frameworks are possible to promote options assessment?
Chair : José Goldemberg
Facilitators : S Parasuraman, J Bird, B Oud
Working Group Y
Management of existing dams:
The group explored the issues surrounding the difference between current practice for new dams, and past practice, and whether existing dams can be brought up to the standards of today (e.g. optimising the benefits, maintaining ecosystem functions, addressing unresolved social issues). Secondly asked what happens if during relicensing, or with new legislation, a decision is made to decommission the dam that has served its purpose and is no longer considered essential or necessary.
Chair : Judy Henderson
Facilitators : L Haas and J Skinner
Working Group Z
Negotiating competing rights and interests:
Differing streams of benefits and costs derive from each of the stages of dam projects. Questions that arise and often are not adequately addressed - and therefore lie at the heart of the controversy over dams - include: Who is entitled to the benefits generated? Who should bear the costs? How to reconcile the many competing and often conflicting interests and claims around the sharing of the impacts of dams? Do we need an agreed framework for negotiating and achieving equitable distribution of the impacts of dams - considering the original set of competing resource and development rights.
Points for discussion include stakeholder identification, recognition of existing formal and informal rights and their roles in legitimizing claims, types of information necessary to empower negotiation and mediation mechanisms.
Chair : Göran Lindahl
Facilitators : B Aylward, M Niasse
Groups broke for coffee as was convenient
11:30 Plenary presentation of working group findings
12:30 Lunch
Session 6
Building on the Commission - What Comes Next?
(Continued from Friday)
14:00 Plenary feedback on conclusions of working groups on "Beyond the Commission". Discussion of follow up options and next steps.
15:00 Tea/coffee
Session 7
Open Exchange and Debriefing with Commissioners
15:30 Open discussion between Commissioners and the Forum
16:30 Closing Remarks and Launch Strategy for Final Report - Prof Kader Asmal
17:00 Close
Informal discussions
19:00 WCD Forum Reception and Dinner
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