The world water council announces the proposal for montreal, Quebec, canada to host the fourth world water forum in march 2006.
On the conclusion of the Second World Water Forum held in The Hague from March 17-22, 2000 and following the announcement of the intention of Japan to host the Third World Water Forum in 2003, Montreal, Quebec, Canada has proposed to host the Fourth World Water Forum in March, 2006.
Montreal has previously hosted the meetings of the Founding Committee of the World Water Council and its Interim Secretariat during the initial stages of the establishment of the World Water Council in 1995-6. Following that, the meeting of the First General Assembly of the World Water Council was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and subsequently the first branch office of the World Water Council under the name of the World Water Council Western Hemispheric Bureau was established.
"This is a significant indication of commitment to world water issues by Canada which will not go unnoticed by the World Water Council and the world water community," cited Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, President of the World Water Council. "It is not too early to consider such a proposal six years in advance. It is rather an indication of the world water community’s confidence in the Council and a strong reflection of the importance of the World Water Forum mechanism," he continued.
The Council is currently holding the Second World Water Forum in The Hague, The Netherlands. More than 3500 people from around the world attended the six day Forum. The World Water Council is an international Water Policy think-tank established as a non-governmental organization in 1996. Its membership is comprised of national institutions representing two-thirds of the world’s population. Scores of international, United Nations and non-governmental organizations are also members.
The World Water Forum is a triennial meeting that draws policy and decision makers from national governments, international, United Nations and non-governmental organizations, public and private sectors and scientists with interest in water issues. The main objectives of the Forum are to:
- Raise awareness among the decision-makers, the media and the public at large of world water issues of critical concern.
- Provide a platform to exchange views, information and knowledge on current issues and information related to global water.
- Extend the opportunity to the Council to promote its policies, findings and to share with other organizations common vision and interest in world water affairs.
- Present the state of the art knowledge on global water assessment, challenges and potential solutions.
