A regional meeting of National Water Sector Apex Bodies (NWSAB), sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), brought together 50 representatives of NWSAB and water ministries from 13 Asian countries to discuss the role apex bodies can play in creating a strong and sustainable water sector.

Meeting from 18-21 May 2004 in Hanoi, Vietnam, delegates agreed to pursue regional cooperation among NSWABs, beginning with the sharing of basic information among each other, and to develop performance indicators, peer review, and benchmarking to make NWSABs more effective. They also agreed to: promote a national focus on water reform; guide the reform process to ensure participation and collaboration among all stakeholders; and facilitate policy dialogue and investment partnerships with development partners, including the ADB. The results of the meeting can be found at: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2004/Leadership_in_Water_Governance/default.asp