The First Ministerial Forum on Water of the Group of 77 met in Muscat, Oman, from 23-25 February 2009, and sought to facilitate the exchange of scientific and technical expertise among member counties to disseminate information on water resources, improve and strengthen communication among the group, and establish knowledge transfer mechanisms to governments and decision makers on the local and international levels.

The Forum also sought to develop the fields of desalination, sanitation and others that could support water resources. Delegations from 130 member States agreed on 21 conclusions and recommendations that will be forwarded to the fifth World Water Forum, which is scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2009. The Forum concluded with the adoption of the Muscat Declaration on Water, which highlights the vital importance of water as a source of life, and recognizes the human right to clean water and hygienic sanitation as a key goal. The declaration also stresses the main challenges to securing this right, namely the lack of capacity, finance and political will to implement the decisions and other actions recommended in previous fora.
Links to further information
Forum website
The Declaration