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ForewordIRINA BOKOVA, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNESCOIn this International Year for Water Cooperation, our position is clear. Water is the basic ingredient of life and afundamental human right. Water is the common denominator of many global challenges – in health, farming,energy, and urban development. It can be the common solution also, holding the key to global sustainability –but this requires deeper commitment from all of us. Cooperation around water, for water and through water, musthappen everywhere – between States and within them. This is more than a technical or scientific issue. Watercooperation is about fighting poverty and hunger, and protecting the environment. It is about saving children fromdisease. It is about allowing girls to go to school instead of walking kilometres to fetch water. It is about providingwomen and men with access to sanitation, wherever they live. Fundamentally, it is about peace, on the basis ofdialogue between States and across regions. When we talk about water security, we are really talking about humanrights and human dignity, about the sustainable development of all societies.Water cooperation demands changes of attitude, a transformation in the way we use water and view our interests,and an evolution in the way we govern the management of this essential resource. This can only be nurtured throughdialogue and mutual understanding, in order to create a solid basis of trust. These goals have always guided theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its work through water diplomacy tohelp countries engage in the complex tasks of conflict resolution, mediation and water education for peace.The same spirit underpins the International Year of Water Cooperation, designated by the United NationsGeneral Assembly to raise the profile of water security on the agenda of world leaders, water professionals, theprivate sector as well as the wider public. This initiative builds on the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment andDevelopment, the 2000 Millennium Declaration as well as the International Decade for Action, Water for Life(2005-2015), and it will contribute to setting an ambitious global development agenda to follow 2015.The 31 agencies of UN-Water chose UNESCO to coordinate the International Year of Water Cooperation,placing the organization at the forefront of a global partnership for water security. This draws on UNESCO’slong-standing experience in cross-sectoral approaches to building water cooperation and a unique ‘water family’including UNESCO water-related centres, university chairs and global networks. With our partners in UN-Water,we are reaching out to civil society and the private sector to foster scientific and technical collaboration, to raiseawareness, to develop capacities and to share good practices.This publication, Free Flow: Reaching Water Security through Cooperation, bears testimony to our collectivecommitment to foster a lasting culture of cooperation among water practitioners, scientists and policymakers. Iwish to thank our publishing partner, Tudor Rose, all members of the UNESCO ‘water family’ and all contributors,who helped to make this book possible. I am certain it will inspire many readers and guide us all forward.Image: © UNESCO/Michel RavassardIrina BokovaDirector-General of UNESCO[ 4 ]