In order to assist companies in the development of comprehensive water sustainability strategies, the CEO Water Mandate convenes two working conferences per year, designed to focus on key water-related issues and specific aspects of the CEO Water Mandate. These conferences bring corporate water experts and practitioners together with a range of key stakeholders and partners, including civil society organizations, specialized water institutes, UN agencies, public authorities, and other interests. Below are links to agendas, meeting summaries, and presentations from all of the Mandate’s working conferences.

Eighth Working Conference

25-26 Aug 2011

Stockholm, Sweden

The United Nations Global Compact, in collaboration with the Pacific Institute, convened its eighth working conference of the CEO Water Mandate on 25-26 August in Stockholm, Sweden. The first session of the conference, held in collaboration with the Alliance for Water Stewardship, focused on “Measuring and Disclosing Water Stewardship Practice”, while the second session, held with the Institute for Human Rights and Business, addressed “Business and the Human Right to Water and Sanitation”.

Seventh Working Conference

15-17 May 2011

Copenhagen,
Denmark

The United Nations Global Compact, in collaboration with the Pacific Institute, convened its seventh working conference of the CEO Water Mandate on 15-17 May in Copenhagen, Denmark. The first day, co-convened with the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment, focused on the topic of corporate water risk and discloure. On 17 May, the multi-stakeholder discussions addressed the Mandate’s two other priority workstreams: public policy in relation to planned on-the-ground collective action projects; and water and human rights. The CEO Water Mandate also held a joint session with the UN Global Compact’s Caring for Climate initiative to explore potential synergies between the two platforms and the energy-water nexus.

Sixth Working Conference

15-17 Nov 2010

Cape Town, South Africa

The United Nations Global Compact, in collaboration with the Pacific Institute, convened its sixth working conference of the CEO Water Mandate on 15-17 November in Cape Town, S Africa. The multi-stakeholder conference focused on the Mandate’s three workstreams: responsible business engagement in public policy; water and human rights; and water disclosure. At the event, the Mandate released its “Guide to Responsible Business Engagement with Water Policy”.

Fifth Working Conference

14-16 Apr 2010

New York,
United States

The United Nations Global Compact, in collaboration with the Pacific Institute, convened its fifth working conference of the CEO Water Mandate on 14-16 April in New York City. The multi-stakeholder conference focused on the Mandate’s three workstreams: responsible business engagement in public policy; water and human rights; and water disclosure.

Fourth Working Conference

16-18 Aug 2009

Stockholm, Sweden

The United Nations Global Compact, in collaboration with the Pacific Institute, convened its fourth working conference in Stockholm on 16-18 August as part of World Water Week. The multi-stakeholder conference focused on the Mandate’s three workstreams: responsible business engagement in public policy; water and human rights; and water disclosure. In addition, the conference included a public information session on the CEO Water Mandate, and an endorsers meeting.

Third Working Conference

16-18 Mar 2009

Istanbul,Turkey

The United Nations Global Compact, in collaboration with the Pacific Institute, convened the CEO Water Mandate’s third working conference during the Fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul. In addition to the multi-stakeholder workshop, the Mandate held three other events: a seminar on the initiative’s Transparency Framework and a general informational session about the initiative, along with a planning meeting for endorsers.

Second Working Conference

21-22 Aug 2009

Stockholm, Sweden

The United Nations Global Compact, in collaboration with the Pacific Institute, convened the CEO Water Mandate’s second working conference during World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. The conference’s overarching goals were to explore 1) how to understand and address water impacts and risks embedded within companies’ supply chains and 2) how to ensure that the Mandate and its endorsers are transparent with respect to water use and impacts

Meeting Report (pdf) | Agenda and presentations: 21 August and 22 August

Inaugural Working Conference

5-6 Mar 2008

New York,
United States

The United Nations Global Compact, in partnership with the Pacific Institute, convened the inaugural working conference of The CEO Water Mandate. The conference, held at UN Headquarters in New York, brought together senior representatives from numerous corporations, as well as policy leaders from civil society organizations, UN agencies as well as specialized water institutes.