Background
Recognizing the importance and difficulty of ensuring global food security in the face of water scarcity and climate change, a number of entities –including governments, United Nations (UN) bodies, research institutes, universities, civil society organizations, companies and other institutions – responded to the call of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to join a global framework for action to catalyze international cooperation on water scarcity in agriculture.
In light of the growing interest in the initiative and at the invitation of FAO, a first Partners’ Meeting was held on 19 and 20 April 2017 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, to determine how, and through which mechanisms, the Partners would further promote the initiative, increase their cooperation and better coordinate their efforts. The Partners’ Meeting resulted in the creation of a partnership initiative called “the Global Framework for Action on Water Scarcity” (“the Global Framework”) and the adoption, by the Partners and other Stakeholders, of the Rome Statement on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (“the Rome Statement”). An Interim Steering Committee was also nominated, with the purpose, among others, to adopt finalized Terms of Reference. At their 3rd meeting of 26 August 2017, the Interim Steering Committee agreed to change the short name of the Global Framework to WASAG. Finalized terms or reference of WASAG were adopted by the Interim Steering Committee on 03 July 2018. On the same date, the process of electing a new Steering Committee governed by the present Terms of Reference started, to replace the Interim Steering Committee at the next Partners meeting.