TEC BACKGROUND PAPERS NO. 9

Global Water Partnership (GWP), established in 1996, is an international network open to all organisations involved in water resources management: developed and developing country government institutions, agencies of the United Nations, bi- and multilateral development banks, professional associations, research institutions, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector. GWP was created to foster Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), which aims to ensure the co-ordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources by maximising economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of vital environmental systems. GWP promotes IWRM by creating fora at global, regional, and national levels, designed to support stakeholders in the practical implementation of IWRM. The Partnership’s governance includes the Technical Committee (TEC), a group of 12 internationally recognised professionals and scientists skilled in the different aspects of water management. This committee, whose mem-bers come from different regions of the world, provides technical support and advice to the other governance arms and to the Partnership as a whole. The TEC has been charged with devel-oping an analytical framework of the water sector and proposing actions that will promote susta