nt sanita nd-driven Gl bal ooperatio Water universal S lidarity promotin sanitatio mmunica ork good sanitatio iven tech peration International Platform for the Promotion of Decentralized Solidarity Mechanisms
Global Water Solidarity International Platform for the Promotion of Decentralized Solidarity Mechanisms Global Water Solidarity is a coalition of local, regional and national governments, public and private institutions and civil society organizations from Europe, Asia and Africa. Its members are working together to develop, replicate and scale up decentralized solidarity mechanisms (DSMs) and to support existing DSMs at national and regional levels. Services Global Water Solidarity promotes the development, replication and scaling up of existing DSMs in water and sanitation through these services: Grant Global Water Solidarity recognition to existing and developing DSMs in water and sanitation. Despite significant efforts in the past 50 years, not everyone in the world has access to water and sanitation services. 783 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. Local authorities and water utility companies play a key role in responding to this challenge. Together with an active coalition of stakeholders and concrete cooperation mechanisms, local leaders are working in solidarity so everyone can access safe water and sanitation services. Ratify the International Charter for the Promotion of Decentralized Solidarity Mechanisms to publicly engage institutions in promoting DSMs. Support the online community of practice to facilitate technical cooperation and exchange of good practices among DSM movers in various sectors. 3
Establish a demand-driven technical cooperation network to identify and facilitate technical cooperation opportunities among actors involved in developing and scaling up DSMs. Promote the debate on the role and contribution of DSMs to universal access to water and sanitation services in national and international fora. The Global Water Solidarity platform will facilitate communication among existing or developing DSMs in water and sanitation. It will reinforce the scope, actions and visibility of these DSMs, not compete with them. In countries without DSMs, the Global Water Solidarity will stimulate and support their creation by advocating and providing the services above. Funding Global Water Solidarity is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et Européennes de la République Française. It is also funded and hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Global Water Solidarity Recognition Existing and developing decentralized solidarity mechanisms may register to be recognized as a party to the Global Water Solidarity. Recognition by the Global Water Solidarity will Reinforce the DSM s promotion vis-à-vis national and local institutions Allow the DSM to use the Global Water Solidarity name and logo in documents and activities, in relation to the DSM and not to the participating institutions. The Global Water Solidarity platform will not be accountable for any partnerships established through the registered DSM. The management and monitoring (especially the engaged resources) of the DSM will remain a direct responsibility of the committed mechanisms and their partners. 4
International Platform Non-existent National Mechanism Promotion and support to the creation of National Mechanisms Processing request Existent National Mechanism Request technical support Technical support Existent Decentralized Solidarity Mechanisms and Platforms Application Decentralized Solidarity Mechanisms Local Authorities National Governments Civil Society Organizations Multilateral Organizations Private Sector Decentralized Solidarity Mechanisms Decentralized solidarity mechanisms (DSMs) are national or regional tools facilitating cooperation among local governments and sub-national institutions, on a voluntary basis and as a gesture of solidarity. These DSMs: Enable provision of financial resources, local capacity building and technology transfer to support sub-national institutions efforts in establishing water and sanitation services. Strengthen, on a voluntary and nonprofit basis, partnerships among sub-national institutions with fully developed services and those still working on universal access to services. Uphold a benchmarking framework in which the minimum requirements for availability, quality, acceptability, accessibility, affordability, inclusiveness and sustainability of services are ensured. Operate in broad and inclusive alliances engaging local governments, water services providers, consumer groups, civil society organisations and nonserved groups ensuring access to information, participation and transparency. Guiding principles DSMs are driven by the principles of universality, subsidiary, additionality, leverage and institutional, environmental, and financial sustainability. Universality. Embrace a nondiscrimination principle on any grounds. Focus on promoting universal access prioritizing vulnerable groups and individuals and those facing systemic forms of discrimination; 5
Subsidiary. Recognize the crucial role of sub-national and local institutions in developing and delivering water and sanitation services and in reinforcing democratic participatory planning within a framework of good governance, efficiency, transparency, and accountability; Additionality. Complement, not replace, existing cooperation channels such as Official Development Assistance (ODA). Facilitate leveraging of new funding and investments for local authorities; Leverage. Aspire to facilitate a leverage effect for larger investments triggering reductions of risks perception and transaction costs for loans from development banks, equity funds or any other private funding; Institutional sustainability. Establish DSMs under a good governance base. Reinforce ownership, operation and maintenance capacities of sub-national institutions and local governments; Support decentralizing resources to local authorities to help them fulfil their responsibilities in providing universal access; Environmental sustainability. Promote Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) models. Encourage prevention and adaptation measures to protect users from natural disasters and climate change impacts; Financial sustainability. Encourage adapted, inclusive and proportional mechanisms for cost recovery and self-financing. How DSMs Work Decentralized solidarity mechanisms (DSMs) work in bringing together financial resources and technical expertise to support sub-national institutions in developing countries provide reliable access to safe water and sanitation services for everyone. These countries show us how DSM work for them. 6
Belgium Flemish Partnership Water for Development Vlaams Partnerschap Water voor Ontwikkeling (VPWvO) The Flemish Partnership Water for Development (VPWvO) was launched on 22 March 2004, bringing together Flemish actors in the field of water. As of December 2011, there are 99 Flemish actors in the platform. There is also a financial leverage effect with the financial input of the partners being used as the necessary own means needed to receive funding from the Belgian or European development cooperation. Through the Partnership, Flanders aims to help six million people (the same number of inhabitants in Flanders) in developing countries obtain safe drinking water and adequate sanitation by 2015. For a Flemish Partnership project to be approved, at least two Flemish partners must cooperate and contribute to the project. This contribution can be financial, in the form of technical expertise, or a combination of both. To raise awareness of the platform and its potential benefits, publications were produced and distributed to local governments in developing countries. There have been positive results from the DSM. Since 2004, 45 projects have been or are being subsidized by the Flemish government via this system, providing 662,000 beneficiaries direct access to clean water and 458,000 access to sanitation infrastructure or improved hygiene conditions. The partnerships are creating synergies and a healthy exchange of knowledge and expertise, for the benefit of all involved. Flanders, Belgium and Toamasina, Madagascar PROTOS, a Belgian NGO is partnering with two local organisations in Toamasina: JIRAMA, Madagascar s public-owned drinking water company, and the NGO Frères Saint- Gabriel (FSG). Vlaamse Maatschappij voor Watervoorziening (VMW), the largest public-owned company delivering drinking water in Flanders, will set up a public partnership with JIRAMA. VMW will provide financial support to improve JIRAMA s distribution of safe water and sanitation facilities in the slums of Toamasina. JIRAMA will profit directly from VMW s knowledge and expertise. Toamasina s drinking water distribution network will be reinforced and extended to provide access to 8,000 people. Another focus will be awareness-raising on the importance of hygiene amongst 300 families and 1,000 school pupils. The project also obtained financial leverage from Flemish partners providing 1 for every 4 transferred through the agreement. 7
results assessment. Although participation in the mechanism is voluntary, in 2010, cooperation actions from local authorities and water agencies raised about 24 million. The application of the Oudin-Santini Law has permitted the mobilization of 19.4 million and implementation of 600 projects in 17 countries. If the mechanism was used to its full potential, about 67 million could be mobilised each year. France Oudin-Santini Law and Programme Solidarité (ps-eau) On 9 February 2005, the French Oudin- Santini Law was introduced. This law allows those in the water and sanitation sector to participate in water projects in developing countries. This legal framework allows up to 1% of the water and sanitation budget to be mobilised for cooperative projects in this sector. ps-eau is a network of 20,000 water, sanitation and solidarity sector stakeholders in France and abroad that advises French stakeholders on how to adopt the 1% mechanism. To evaluate the 1% mechanism s impact, ps-eau carries out an annual national Tata, Morocco, Agde (L Hérault department, France) and Agence de l eau Rhône-Méditerranée et Corse (AERMC) With the Oudin-Santini Law, Agde (L Hérault department, France) and Agence de l eau Rhône-Méditerranée et Corse (AERMC) were able to support authorities in Tata, Souss Massa Region, Morocco through knowledge transfer complementing existing state efforts. The idea of sustainability was key to the project. The way the project developed allowed for studies on its feasibility and expected impact. With its consistent initial assessments and based on relations and mechanisms established, it presents a strong replication model for other partnership projects. The project has produced positive results by strengthening water governance at the local level. 8
Bédarieux, France and Ouarzazate, Morocco With the legal framework established by the Oudin-Santini law, the municipality of Bédarieux in France is able to provide resources to support a project in the neighbourhood of Ouarzazate in South-East Morocco. The project will support the renewal of the existing water supply system and the establishment of a new network for sanitation services. Both Moroccan and French parties are fully involved, together with the French VERSeau Développement and the Moroccan Office National de l Eau Potable (ONEP). This is an example of successful international solidarity, allowing two municipalities to work together through an international partnership. Syndicat des eaux d Ile-de-France (SEDIF) Four tenths (0.4%) of water revenues from the Syndicat des eaux d Ile-de- France (SEDIF) is allocated to overseas development aid. Seventy per cent (70%) of this is channelled to projects in African countries like Mali, Niger, and Senegal. Funding is allocated to NGOs that have applied for this and that ensure a long-term focus. Projects that consider post-construction management and sustainability are supported. The core responsibility for the project remains with the local governments. Grand Lyon, France and Haute-Matsiatra Region, Madagascar Grand Lyon and the Haute-Matsiatra Region established a partnership to reinforce capacities and to gain access to financing for necessary investments. This partnership was supported by the Water Fund, a mechanism supplemented by Grand Lyon, Agence de l eau Rhône-Méditerranée et Corse (AERMC), Veolia and La Lyonnaise des Eaux. The Water Directorate of Grand Lyon provided know-how and the privatepublic partnership behind the Water Fund provided funds. The project enabled 10,000 people to access water and sanitation. Training improved the technical capacity of local authorities, water services and management structures. Half the region s population learned about water, hygiene and public health issues. Some were assisted in building household latrines. The partnership enabled the Haute- Matsiatra Region and Madagascar s government departments to fully assume their role in supporting water projects, beyond the collaboration with Grand Lyon. The project highlighted the importance of local participation and of a management system that allows each partner to voice their expectations and limitations within the project, therefore allowing for transparency and flexibility. The way the partnership works differs for every project, depending on their respective priorities. For example, a partnership with the Office National de l Eau et de l Assainisement (ONEA) in Burkina Faso focus on technical exchange. Other projects focus on the financial aspect. 9
Aygabac, Armenia and Bagno a Ripoli, Italy With the L Acqua è di tutti fund and the Water Right Foundation s (WRF) facilitation, the municipality of Aygabac (Armenia) received support from the municipality of Bagno a Ripoli (Italy-Florence) to restore their water supply system. To ensure sustainability, Armenian staff were trained in operations, technical requirements and administration. A campaign highlighting the sustainable use of water and household sanitation was launched in Aygabac, while awareness was raised in Italy about the project. The two municipalities have strengthened ties to the point of organising a Tuscan week in Yerevan hosted by the municipality of Yerevan and promoted by the Municipality of Bagno a Ripoli and WRF. The project also obtained financial leverage from the European Commission. Italy L Acqua è di tutti and Water Right Foundation L Acqua è di tutti is a fund created by Publiacqua S.p.A., the company that manages the integrated water service in the Middle Valdarno Basin in Tuscany. For every cubic metre of water used by its customers, Publiacqua S.p.A. donates one euro cent to the fund. The fund supports projects in countries where access to water is insufficient or poorly managed. In 2005, the non-profit Water Right Foundation was established to manage the fund, with the support of local municipalities, civil society, and the academe. The Water Right Foundation promotes development cooperation projects and raises awareness on water and sanitation issues. To date, 2,450,000 has been contributed to co-finance interventions over 4,500,000. About one million people have benefited directly or indirectly from the projects. The Water Right Foundation plays two roles. It is the donor directly distributing L Acqua è di tutti fund contributions to selected projects. It also takes the lead role in tapping technical specialists from Publiacqua to provide expertise for these projects. The Netherlands Koppejan Law The motie Koppejan is part of the Dutch Drinkwaterwet (Drinking Water Act). It allows Dutch water utility companies to voluntarily allocate 1% of their turnover to water and sanitation projects in developing countries. Peer to peer alliances (Water Operator Partnerships [WOPs]) are formed between water utility companies. In the context of MDG-7C, the Dutch government adopted a national target of providing 50 million people in the developing world with safe drinking water and sanitation. The government is now relying on the public water sector to use their expertise. Based on the 1% rule (Koppejan motion) and the intention of International 10
Cooperation to match this funding, the drinking water sector aims to double their efforts. There are now quite a number of successful partnerships. In 2009, 6 million was committed by water companies, benefiting 25 million people. Switzerland Solidarit eau-suisse Solidarit eau-suisse is a voluntary solidarity levy of Swiss communities established in 2007 by water ulitity companies, local communities, NGOs, the Swiss Gas and Water Industry Association, the Aguasan Group and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Municipalities or water utility companies can choose to donate 1 cent for every cubic metre of water used (about 1CHF per inhabitant per year). By donating this amount, they may use the label Solidarit eau-suisse municipality, further raising awareness of water issues and solidarity. The money is used to fund water and sanitation projects in developing countries. Lausanne, Switzerland and Nouakchott, Mauritania From October 2009 to March 2011, a partnership project was launched between eauservice, the water utility company in Lausanne, Switzerland and the Communauté Urbaine de Nouakchott (CUN) in Nouakchott, Mauritania, which manages water supply in nine districts. The first project was piloted to improve access to water, promote good sanitation, and transfer knowledge on municipal water management. At the end of the project, 17,000 people had access to clean water. The second project, Projet Communautaire pour l Accès à l Eau ( PCAE), was launched with the same objectives as the first, but with a budget five times higher and the microcredit fund component. The CUN manages and monitors the project, while eauservice provides technical expertise. Awareness has also been raised in Switzerland concerning water-related issues. Service Intercommunal de Gestion (SIGE), Helvetas (Switzerland) and Benin Through Solidarit eau, the Service Intercommunal de Gestion (SIGE) in Vaud, Switzerland assists in establishing sustainable drinking water services to schools and health centres in Benin. Implemented with the Swiss NGO Helvetas, the project supports local municipalities in developing frameworks for discussions with stakeholders and in implementing procedures for improved water service delivery. The project provides technical training for local specialists, preparation of hygiene and sanitation specialists to train teachers and students on the importance of hygiene and sanitation, and for the construction of a laboratory to monitor water quality. The project encourages the knowledge sharing among participating institutions, building capacity of Beninese institutions and its nationals. 11
To start selecting projects, Swiss NGOs first present proposals to the Solidarit eau- suisse secretariat. These proposals are independently evaluated by experts from the Aguasan Group. Proposed projects are then presented on the Solidarit eau-suisse internet platform. Municipalities and water utilities review these proposals and select a project that best suits their interests. For a specific project, the proponent NGO and the municipality agree on and finalise the municipality s financial contributions to the project. The NGO regularly appraises the donor community on the project s progress and results. The mechanism allows public-public partnerships to be established. These partnerships help develop financing and capacity in the target community s water sector. Today, more than 80 municipalities contribute, through Solidarit eau-suisse, to water projects in developing countries. More than 50 municipalities and water utilities use the Solidarit eau-suisse label. Every year, approximately 650,000 CHF are donated to different projects managed by more than 20 Swiss NGOs. Rationale Despite the important efforts undertaken, not everyone in the world has access to water and sanitation services. 884 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. Sub-national institutions, such as local authorities and water utility companies, play a key role in responding to this challenge. Their leadership, together with an active coalition of stakeholders and concrete cooperation mechanisms, is needed to achieve universal access in water and sanitation. Local governments in both developed and developing countries share a common advantage to lead efficient, accessible and accountable water and sanitation services. They are close to the service users. They know local conditions and needs. Sub-national institutions have developed solutions and best practices to overcome technical, political or financial obstacles to accessible, affordable, sustainable quality water and sanitation services. These obstacles, in general, are similar across local institutions in countries and regions around the world. The experiences of successful local governments can serve to inspire others in blazing a path to universal access. Cooperation among sub-national institutions is a powerful vehicle to build 12
How it Started The Target and Solutions Group (TSG) brought together a group of local, regional and national authorities, international and multilateral organizations, water operators, NGOs, private organizations and prominent public figures. The TSG intended to identify solutions to mobilize additional technical and financial resources to support local governments efforts to achieve universal access to safe water and basic sanitation. The members of the TSG met for the first time in April 2011 in Marseille, in a meeting hosted by the World Water Council and facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Their second meeting in June 2011 in Tunis was a workshop, co-organized by UNDP and Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) on DSMs. Their last meeting was in Geneva in October 2011. Under the coordination of UNDP, the TSG developed an extensive exchange process, including the identification of existing DSM at national and regional level, the assessment of the challenges and opportunities they face and the creation of a common international tool to support their development, replication and scaling up. The TSG produced the paper Finance Mechanisms for Local Governments introducing the Global Water Solidarity the international platform for the promotion of DSMs as a global solution. capacities and reinforce service provision. It can fill the persistent resources gap that national governments and international institutions cannot fulfil. An additional US$9.5 billion is necessary to achieve the water and sanitation targets under the Millennium Development Goals. An estimated US$30 billion per year is needed to achieve universal coverage. Yet, current bilateral and multilateral assistance in water and sanitation remains at US$6.2 billion. Attempts by many sub-national institutions to develop regional and international cooperative ties are frustrated by inadequate legal framework, lack of information on partnership opportunities, absence of political will or specific capacities in international relations. In the last decade, several European countries have launched initiatives to support national, regional and international partnerships in water and sanitation. These pioneer efforts include the Oudin-Santini law in France, the Koppejan law in the Netherlands, the Solidarit eau Platform in Switzerland, the Flemish Partnership Water for Development in Belgium, and the fund L Acqua è di tutti in Italy. The positive outcomes of these initiatives constitute the basis of the Global Water Solidarity International Platform for the Promotion of Decentralized Solidarity Mechanisms. 13
Framework Global Water Solidarity was established within the framework of United Nations declarations and standards concerning access to water and sanitation, as well as international cooperation guidelines, including: Millennium Declaration (A/55/L.2), specifically Goal 7 and the target C: "... halve the percentage of people who have no access to drinking water or to basic sanitation services, an objective to be reached by 2015, with special attention to those in vulnerable situations and without sustainable access to water and sanitation. United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/292 that recognizes access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as human rights, essential to the full enjoyment of life. Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/15/L.14 that recognizes the incorporation of the right to water and sanitation into the right to an adequate standard of living, included in several international human rights treaties. The principles of aid effectiveness included in the Rome Declaration, the Paris Declaration, the Accra Agenda for Action and Busan Declaration. Members Global Water Solidarity brings together local, regional and national authorities, multilateral institutions, civil society, and private sector organizations experts in water and sanitation, offering political, technical and/or financial support to develop, replicate and scale up water and sanitation DSMs. Global Water Solidarity is governed by an Executive Board with representatives from local governments, international associations, local water operators, national organizations and institutions, multilateral organizations, nongovernment and private organizations, as well as eminent public figures. 14
The following organizations are founding members of the Global Water Solidarity Basque Agency for Water BothEnds French Ministry for Foreign Affairs International Office of Water International Secretariat for Water (ISW) Le Syndicat des Eaux d Ile de France (SEDIF) Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) PROTOS ps-eau Sahara and Sahel Observatory Service Intercommunal de Gestion Solidarit eau Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Vitens-Evides Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA) Waterlex World Water Foundation Design and Production by Phoenix Design Aid A/S, ISO 9001/ ISO 14001 certified and approved CO 2 neutral company. www.phoenixdesignaid.com. This publication is printed on official environmentally approved FSC paper using vegetable-based inks. The printed matter is bio-degradable and recyclable.
evelopme ion dema chnical c network ccess to ater and ervices co tion netw ractices emand-dr nical coo Contact Global Water Solidarity c/o United Nations Development Programme 11-13 chemin des Anémones 1219 Chatelaine Geneva, Switzerland www.undp.org/geneva/watersolidarity Global Water Solidarity is supported by MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES ET EUROPÉENNES