Water and Climate Coalition Terms of Reference

Vision

Water resources management is placed at the heart of international policy responses to climate change.

Mission

The Water and Climate Coalition (WCC) seeks to achieve its vision through bringing together stakeholders from across the global water community to promote progressive and integrated water and climate change policy on an international level.

It does this through targeted advocacy on a global level, working with members to develop policy recommendations, statements and interventions, as well as co-ordinating events, seminars and workshops.

A major focus of the WCC is to influence the outcomes of the negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) but it is also active in other intergovernmental processes where water and climate issues are relevant.

The Water and Climate Coalition focuses on advocacy and international policy change, however it is not an implementing body.

The Water and Climate Coalition is not an organization, but an initiative with the aim to facilitate joint advocacy action and increase efficiency within the water community in its lobbying efforts in relation to UN-related processes

Members

The coalition comprises of members from across NGOs, UN agencies, research institutes, community-based organisations and networks, trade unions, and business.

Members must agree with the overall objective of the Water and Climate Coalition to promote progressive and integrated water and climate change policy on an international level.

Members should act as ‘ambassadors’ for the Water and Climate Coalition in their respective organisations and within their respective networks. They should take a proactive role in helping to ensure the sustainability of the Water and Climate Coalition, including recommending funding sources and providing feedback on funding proposals where relevant. Members are not required to contribute financially to the WCC, though one-off donations and contributions in kind where possible are welcomed.

Members agree to allow the Water and Climate Coalition Secretariat to advocate on their behalf at climate change negotiations and other intergovernmental forums, based on policy recommendations shared with and agreed with members.

Members will be invited to provide input and feedback on all material distributed by the Water and Climate Coalition, including reports, statements, briefings, and textual interventions. All literature produced will include the logos of the members unless members expressly request otherwise. The ‘opt-out’ rather than ‘opt-in’ policy allows for more flexibility and speed in the turnaround of time-sensitive documents including responses to negotiations.

Members are also invited to contribute to side events, workshops and seminars, inputting their views and sharing their expertise. They are also invited to offer expert guidance and advice in closed meetings with country negotiators organised by the WCC.

Members will be invited to contribute to strategy and advocacy meetings that will take place daily at relevant intergovernmental meetings – the WCC Secretariat will be responsible for providing the necessary information for members to take part constructively.

A formal annual meeting of WCC members will take place once a year at the World Water Week in Stockholm.

Members’ names, logos and contact details will be presented clearly on the WCC website: www.waterclimatecoalition.org

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee consists of a maximum of six representatives elected from the Membership on an annual basis, including one representative from Stakeholder Forum and one from Stockholm International Water Institute. Steering Committee Members take an active role in defining the strategic goals of the Water and Climate Coalition which are agreed by the Membership at an Annual meeting. The Steering Committee should also provide guidance and advice on relevant programmes of work.

Steering Committee members serve for one year, and are elected by members at the annual Water and Climate membership meeting at the Stockholm World Water Week. Nominations for Steering Committee Members must be received by the Secretariat one month in advance of the WCC members meeting.

Secretariat

The Water and Climate Coalition Secretariat is jointly hosted by Stakeholder Forum and Stockholm International Water Institute. Together SF and SIWI are responsible for the following:

• Managing the relationships with members

• Developing policy documents and statements through consultation with members and other stakeholders

• Maintaining the Water and Climate Coalition website

• Organising events, seminars and workshops on water alongside the climate change negotiations and other relevant intergovernmental meetings

• Following the climate change negotiations and communicating the status of the negotiations to members, drafting responses to negotiating texts

• Co-ordinating and facilitating meetings between coalition members and country/regionaldelegations at the climate change negotiations and other intergovernmental meetings

• Providing analysis of the climate change negotiations as they relate to water

• Supporting members in understanding the UNFCCC and the broader global policy arena as it relates to water and climate change