8–10 January 2013, Zaragoza, Spain. The UN-Water Conference in Zaragoza will focus on effective ways to make cooperation happen in the water domain.

Conference organizers: UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC), Ebro River Basin Authority (CHE), Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, Global Water Operators’ Partnership Alliance (GWOPA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC), UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Bank

Some of the key questions addressed by this three-day conference include:

• Day 1: Presentation of Conference background and discussion of experiences of cooperation among nations and among different types of stakeholders at River Basin scale. What is the need, the benefits, the tools and the approaches for dispute resolution (ADR) for cooperation? What has been the experience so far in implementing ADR tools? How effective they have been? What are the positive and negative lessons from experience? What are the lessons that we can learn from each other?
• Day 2: Presentation and discussion of local cooperation experiences. What has been the experience so far in implementing ADR tools and approaches in cities and rural areas? How effective they have been? What are the positive and negative lessons from experience? What are the lessons that we can learn from each other? How do we specifically engage the marginalized groups to constructive effect?
• Day 3: Presentation and discussion of stakeholder platforms in the host country. What are the existing stakeholder platforms at different scales? How decisions are taken? How disputes are resolved in River Basins, among stakeholders and regional administrations and at local level, in irrigation associations and in cities? What messages for the International Year of Water Cooperation and for World Water Day 2013

For more information about the conference please visit
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/water_cooperation_2013/index.shtml