10 April 2014: The UN Global Compact convened the CEO Water Mandate Conference to address corporate water stewardship, collective action and the post-2015 development agenda, particularly in relation to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). The meeting placed many of these issues in the local context, examining water challenges faced by the host country Peru.

The CEO Water Mandate Conference was held in Lima, Peru, from 8-10 April 2014, and brought together 200 representatives from the private and public sectors, civil society, academia and international organizations. The meeting included an evening showcasing global water stewardship initiatives, including the launch of the Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard and the International Council on Mining and Metals’ (ICMM) Global Water Stewardship Framework.

A day-long event addressed the role of corporate water stewardship and the post-2015 sustainable development goals (SDGs) in solving local and regional water management challenges. The day including sessions on, inter alia: the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, work to date and the road ahead; the role of corporate water stewardship in supporting the post-2015 sustainable development agenda; and platforms for collective action.

The meeting concluded with a multi-stakeholder working session on the CEO Water Mandate, which included panels on: managing integrity – how to improve the impacts and effectiveness of corporate water stewardship initiatives that serve the public interest; corporate responsibility to respect the human rights to water and sanitation; informing development of the CEO Water Mandate’s Corporate Water Disclosure Guidelines; is our understanding of corporate water stewardship practice converging or diverging; and defining and scoring water stewardship at the corporate level. [UN Global Compact Press Release]