Advancing sustainable development implementation through strengthening and fostering water- and energy-related partnerships was the focus of discussions at the Second International Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development convened at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakesh, Morocco, from 21-23 March 2005.

Over 400 participants from 60 countries participated, including 13 ministers and other high-level representatives. The meeting was organized by Morocco’s Ministry of Territory Planning, Water and Environment in cooperation with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), assisted by a “Friends of the Forum” group of representatives from the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, the US, Italy, France and UNDESA. Representatives of ten international organizations and numerous major groups took part in 26 scheduled working sessions and four “on demand” workshops, which consisted of panels, presentations, “breakout” meetings, and a number of innovative opportunities for networking and one-to-one consultations with experts.
The purpose of the Forum was to advance sustainable development implementation through strengthening and fostering water- and energy-related partnerships and to build on the outcomes of the First International Forum on Partnerships, which took place in Rome, Italy, in March 2004. A report by the Government of Morocco on the outcomes of the Second Forum will be presented to the thirteenth session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-13), which is to consider water, sanitation and human settlement issues.
The Forum provided an opportunity for those who have engaged in partnerships in pursuit of sustainable development to take a detailed look at the partnering process, including the organizational and resource demands associated with the different stages in the lifecycle of a partnership. Innovative methods, such as the organization of facilitated workshops “on demand,” provided some participants with an opportunity to take discussions on the side of the conference into structured workshops and develop proposals with the help of expert facilitators. One of these “on demand” workshops examined a proposal for an institute for sustainable development for Africa. An expanded “Friends of the Forum” advisory group met after the closing plenary to consider next steps. Options for a follow-up to the Second Forum were considered, including the possibility of a two-year meeting cycle and/or convening partnership fora alongside other international events and convening partnership events at the regional level. IISDRS coverage of this meeting.