Built across sectors, not by one of them
The Declaration is developed by eleven stakeholder constituencies. Each brings a different kind of knowledge, experience and responsibility to water.
What each constituency brings
Actors from the following eleven groups have expressed interest in contributing to the declaration. Based on strong and repeated feedback, we added the group Grassroots & Rights Holders Voices. The groups presented here may not be complete, and other multilateral processes use different frameworks.
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The generation that will live longest with today's water decisions, contributing a long-term view, local action and new ideas.
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Groups with first-hand experience of life with or without safe water and sanitation, from the communities most directly affected.
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Organisations that connect policy to practice through service delivery, advocacy and independent monitoring of commitments.
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Rights-holders and stewards of lands, waters and watersheds, with knowledge systems built over generations.
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Women and girls carry much of the daily water burden (work and care), providing leadership and knowledge in managing water at home and in the community.
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Politicians and administrators closest to the people, responsible for delivering water and sanitation services every day.
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The largest water users and stewards of land and watersheds, with practical knowledge of water for food production.
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Research provides independent evidence, data and analysis, which drives innovation in water management.
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Group with expertise in accessibility and inclusive design, and direct insight into where services leave people out.
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The people who build, run and maintain water services, with practical knowledge of service quality and working conditions.
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Entities that can provide investments, technology, engineering and operational capacity for delivering and financing water services.
Coordination group members
Coordination group members support an inclusive, representative and well-connected Stakeholder Declaration process by facilitating outreach, engagement and feedback within their constituency.
Members take part in Coordination & Facilitation Group meetings to resolve issues and contribute to key process decisions.
Members and alternates
| Stakeholder group | Member | Alternate |
|---|---|---|
| Children & Youth | Nisreen ElsaimYouth Alliance for Local Adaptation and Peace (YALAP) | Polina NesterenkoSendai Stakeholders Children and Youth Constituency |
| Grassroots & Rights Holders Voices | Aderonke IgeHelp Initiative for Social Justice and Humanitarian Development | Anthony AkpanPan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) |
| Civil Society | Nathalie SeguinRedes del Agua América Latina (Freshwater Action Network) | Bella LimaSanitation and Water for All (SWA) |
| Indigenous Peoples | Castaneda QuintanaLand is Life | Connor RedmileTe Kura Taka Pini |
| Women | Isabell HedkeStronger Together! Coalition | Jeanene MitchellWomen in Water Diplomacy Network |
| Local & Regional Governments | Jean-Baptiste BuffetUnited Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) | n/aFormal local-government network |
| Farmers | Willis OchiengCreats International | Issa Boukary Maman NasserAJPEA-Niger |
| Academia & Science | Alexander FernaldNew Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, New Mexico State University | Laila KasuriImperial College London |
| Persons with Disabilities | Shafici Mohamed AbukarAfrican Disability Rights Organization | Bibi SabahatAga Khan Development Network, Pakistan |
| Workers & Trade Unions | Daria CibrarioPublic Services International (PSI) | Johannes ButscherGlobal Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) |
| Private Sector | Gergana MajercakovaGlobal Water Partnership Organisation | Sanjay BankaBanka BioLoo Limited and Banka Earth Foundation |
Who is involved so far
A snapshot of the people who applied to contribute, and of the coordination group and drafting team that are already at work.
Institutions involved
People in the process
Profile
Primary regional lens
Number of coordination group members, alternates, drafting leads and co-leads (36 in total) by primary regional lens.
Help us reach those who are hardest to reach
This Declaration responds to a longstanding gap in global water governance: stakeholders have no formal mechanism to coordinate their positions, consolidate inputs and speak with one collective voice. Developed in less than 100 days, through an interim governance structure involving all constituencies and several rounds of consultation, the Declaration is an important first step.
The Declaration cannot claim to represent the full diversity of actors, perspectives and communities in water and sanitation. The process is still under way, so there is still time to do better.
We ask everyone to help: reach out through your networks, mobilise those who are hard to reach, and bring in grassroots organisations, rights holders and any other missing actors, with regional balance and equitable participation.
Lasting inclusion will need sustained engagement, dedicated resources and stronger institutional arrangements in the future. This Declaration is both an outcome and a starting point for more systematic, inclusive and accountable stakeholder engagement in global water governance.
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