24 July 2001
South African Symposium endorses WCD recommendations
Pretoria meeting charts a way forward

Over two days in July the WCD report was discussed by Southern African interest groups. Following a series of presentations and discussions, the Symposium agreed two resolutions to chart a way forward.

A two day Symposium on the WCD report was held on 23-24 July in Midrand. It was jointly organised by the South African National Committee on Large Dams, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the Environmental Monitoring Group and IUCN - the World Conservation Union.

Representatives from government agencies, regional countries, NGOs, affected communities, water management and service institutions, the private sector, academia, financing agencies and the SADC Water Sector Cordinating Unit particpated. Following a series of presentations and discussions sessions, the Symposium agreed two resolutions:

Resolution 1

This Symposium declares itself to be broadly supportive of the strategic priorities outlined in the WCD report, but believes that the guidelines need to be contextualised in the South African situation.

This Symposium recommends that a steering committee, elected at this Symposium, be tasked with the process of convening a series of meetings of the steering committee at which proposals will be drafted about:

the composition of a co-ordinating committee

the agenda of such a co-ordinating committee

the timeframes for reporting back to a multi-stakeholder forum of this nature.

The work of the steering committee must be completed by the end of October 2001, and its outputs must be communicated, appropriately and adequately, to all participants in this Symposium for agreement.

Resolution 2

This Symposium supports the process of taking the WCD guidelines further in the Southern African context. We recommend that the SADC Water Sector Co-ordinating Unit, together with NAWISA (Network for Advocacy of Water Issues in Southern Africa), initiate such a process and include the various stakeholders in that process.

We support ongoing national processes insofar as those processes include stakeholders in a balanced way.

Representation on the Steering Committee
Two representatives from each of the following 6 groups participating in the Symposium were elected to serve on the Steering Committee.

Government

NGOs

Water Management and Services Institutions

Affected Communities

Private Sector

Academic, Research, Finance.