Long abstract

The sector of water and sanitation faces tremendous challenges, most of which are linked or derive from governance issues. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture therefore invited experts from Arab and OECD countries to a high-level Regional Conference for participants to exchange experiences on governance reforms in the water sector. This conference took place on 8-9 July 2009 in Tunis, Tunisia.

The meeting brought together representatives from governments, public companies, private sector, and civil society from Arab and OECD countries from the Mediterranean region. It provided participants from a wide range of backgrounds with the opportunity to share experiences on the trends and challenges of water reforms, as well as on the major institutions in the sector and their interaction. Discussions were organised around four sessions which essentially concentrated on the following aspects of water governance:

• the coherence of public water policies
• the modalities of the implementation of these policies
• the establishment of partnerships with the private sector, which includes the participation of citizens and civil society