WEF's Global Policy

Evolution of WEF’s Global Policy
Since 1932, WEF’s involvement with international water quality issues has continued to grow and expand through the work of its Member Associations and Corresponding Associations abroad, the strategic vision and efforts of its officers and trustees, and the work of its leadership and staff.  WEF’s collaborative efforts with the International Coordinating Committee (ICC), and newly formed International Program Committee (IPC) has continued to shape its global policy, which is, “… dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the global water environment.”

The Importance of Being Global
Internationally, WEF is primarily perceived as an American organization, but with a global footprint: Headquartered in the United States, with 90 percent of its members U.S. residents, many of WEF’s products and services are primarily directed toward meeting the educational, meeting, and information needs of these members.

But because of its growing presence in world forums, and it’s involvement in policy issues and activities of interest to the global water and wastewater communities at large, WEF’s views and resources are extending beyond its home borders.

WEF leadership and its members are acceptant and supportive of an international role in the global water community for the Federation.  They seek to identify international activities and resources that constitute real efforts towards improving and enhancing the global water environment.

WEF'S GLOBAL POLICY
April 17, 2004

Whereas: WEF mission is to provide bold leadership, champion innovation, connect water professionals, and leverage knowledge to support clean and safe water worldwide.

Whereas: The Water Environment Federation is a United States based service and educational non-governmental organization concerned with scientific, engineering, and social issues associated with providing bold leadership, championing innovation, connecting water professionals, and leveraging knowledge to support clean and safe water worldwide.

Whereas: Clean water is an international concern because watersheds transcend national boundaries. The United States, given its political, economic, and industrial profile in the world today, is de facto a primary resource and voice in global and international water management.

Whereas: The credibility and standing of the Water Environment Federation in North America is dependent upon it being able to bring the very best available scientific, engineering, and management resources to any given water-related issue.

Whereas: The Federation’s members and client audiences expect WEF to have an institutional awareness and influence not only of the scientific and technical aspects of water management within North America, but of developments all over the world so that it can relate those experiences to domestic applications as well as contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the global water environment.

Be it resolved: that the creation and implementation of the WEF global policy will include an awareness and acknowledgement that:

• WEF is a service organization which in part includes our dedication to the preservation and enhancement of the global water environment and professionals.
• The Federation formally and publicly acknowledges and accepts both a need and a responsibility for a global presence in the realm of clean water.
• The global interests of the Water Environment Federation will be grounded in the interests of the vast majority of its North American membership base.
• It be the policy of the Water Environment Federation to be closely associated with the development of the science of clean water management wherever the science of water is evolving, and that doing so requires consistent contact and sharing between practitioners, scientists, engineers, managers, operators, and organizations on an international basis.
• The Water Environment Federation and its North American members are willing to accept a responsibility for international leadership and cooperation, to the extent that leadership is desired and expected by WEF’s international partners and supported by the WEF membership.
• WEF desires to be recognized for its role in protecting and enhancing the quality of water and its management globally.

Be it further resolved: That the goals of WEF’s global policy are:

• To promote high-quality public health and sound environmental management on a global scale.
• To add value to membership in the Federation through better information and increased public profile.
• To enrich scientific and technical information, resources, and institutional expertise.

Be further it resolved: That the principles of WEF’s International Program include but are not limited to:

• That partnerships must be predicated upon mutual respect, common needs and interests, and the expectation of benefits flowing in both directions.
• That, where feasible, WEF should develop its global profile through active participation and leadership within existing international organizations, and to exert influence and share therein.
• A decision to achieve real working partnerships with national, regional, and international organizations, to include active and sustained participation in their activities.
• That all partnerships and activities be performed in a business-like manner with demonstrable benefits for the Water Environment Federation and its membership unless otherwise determined to be in the best interests of public health and the environment.
• That the benefits of global activities must be clearly identifiable and relevant to the interests of all parties.

Be it further resolved: That the strategies of the Federation in implementation of its global program include in part:

• Working with various national, regional, and international organizations.
• Development of international, national, and private foundation grants.
• Enhanced technology transfer, training and exchange programs, taking maximum advantage of existing WEF delivery mechanisms.
• Increasing the substantive content of WEF services and products such as journals, magazines, meetings, and education and training activities to meet global needs.
• Promotion and transition of WEFTEC to a global forum.
• Development of joint commercial and marketing agreements.
• Developing database and expertise on specific scientific, engineering and management subjects of global interest associated with clean water.
• Causing international conclave to occur addressing the science of water and its development with the purpose of developing new strategies for addressing water problems throughout the world.
• Support of international treaties promoting sound water management.