Organized by UNW-DPAC in collaboration with the Cervantes Institute, the world conference series aims at raising public awareness on current water challenges and proposed solutions at the local level.

Each edition focuses on a particular aspect linked to the theme of the previous World Water Day. In 2010, the focus was on water quality. The 2012 focus is on water and cities.

The conferences are hosted by the Cervantes Institute network in non-Spanish speaking countries.

The 2010 edition of the world conference series focused on the importance of water quality for human and ecosystem health.

Keynote speeches were conducted by a UN system staff member who presented an overview of the water quality situation around the world and the work of the UN system on water quality; this was followed by a short documentary film "The dream of water", produced by the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), and a debate.

The 2012 edition of the world conference series focuses on the challenge of managing water in cities. As the coordinating agency for World Water Day 2011 under the theme "Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge", the 2012 edition is done in collaboration with UN-Habitat.

The conference series includes a presentation by a UN expert and a debate with local experts, followed by a viewing of the documentary film Lake Victoria. Water for Life, the urban challenge produced by UN TV and UNW-DPAC, and a debate.

* In accordance with the UN resolution on multiculturalism and multilingualism, the conference series takes place in Spanish with simultaneous translation into local languages where necessary.