One percent (1%) of the water on Earth's surface is liquid freshwater. The vast majority of all the liquid freshwater is contained in lakes and other lentic (pooled or static) waters. A comprehensive management framework for lakes and other lentic waters, however, is a major missing link in the Global Water Agenda and a weak link in the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM)/Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) arena because they do not adequately consider their unique features.   ILEC and UNEP, in partnership with relevant UN agencies, national and local governments, international NGOs and scientific association and institutions, industrial sectors, and various other interested parties, initiated a call for action for mainstreaming lakes and other lentic waters in national and global environmental policy frameworks.  Achievement of this mainstreaming initiative will facilitate their sustainable use for human health and wellbeing, for socio-economic development and poverty alleviation and for maintaining their integrity, biodiversity and their life-supporting ecosystem goods and services.   This effort began with a colloquium at the 17th World Lake Conference (WLC17) and led to a series of activities, including the first ILEC-UNEP International Webinar on "Mainstreaming Lakes in the Global Water Agenda",  the  UNEP-ILEC Special Session on  Mainstreaming Lakes and Wetlands in the Global Water Agenda and SDGs" at the WLC18, the 3rd UNEP-ILEC International Webinar on "Taking Major Step Toward Mainstreaming Lakes" as a side event of the 4th APWS, the International Symposium 2022 on “Fostering the Value of Lakes for Future Generations”, the UN 2023 Water Conference to further promote Sustainable Lake Management (SLM), and the International Colloquium on "Promoting Sustainable Lake Management (SLM): Challenges, Achievements, and Lessons Learned" at the WLC19.