Paris-2007 Statement

Document resulted of the UNESCO International Symposium on New Directions in Urban
Water Management, held in Paris on 12-14 September 2007 with 200 participants from over 50 countries.

Urges countries, the international community, research institutions and universities, local groups, nongovernmental organizations and citizens to adopt the guidelines and recommendations to face the challenges of urban water management and the need to adopt new paradigms for addressing growing demands on urban waters in an innovative and sustainable way, and building upon the findings of previous international conferences, including the Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development (International Conference on Water and the Environment, 1992), Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, 1992), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (UN Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995), the Paris Statement 1997 (Symposium on Water, City and Urban Planning, 1997), the United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000), the Marseille Statement (UNESCO Symposium on Frontiers in Urban Water Management: Deadlock or Hope?, 2001), the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002), UN CSD-13 policy recommendations on practical measures and options to expedite implementation of commitments in water, sanitation and human settlements (13th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, 2005) and the spirit of the World Water Forums (held in 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006).