By El Hadji Lansana FOFANA, OMVG High Commissioner
The 9th World Water Forum is an opportunity for OMVG (Organisation for the Development of the Gambia River) to participate in the world debate on water in all its dimensions and with all the stakeholders concerned, technical, civil society, political, etc. It is a great opportunity for our Organization to present its vision, its approach to carry out the missions that the States entrusted to it, for access to drinking water, sanitation for rural populations, but also to economic water to promote their activities. We will also benefit from the experience and contribution of other actors and new methods to amplify and accelerate our development mission.
The Dakar Forum is also a double challenge for us:
- Firstly, the fact that it is being organised on African soil, in particular in Dakar, where our headquarters are located, which obliges us to provide our support to Senegal to ensure the success of the event.
- Secondly, the fact that one of the key themes is cooperation, which is our main area of competence.
OMVG is a strategic partner of the first rank and has been at Senegal's side in the bidding process, through the National Preparatory Committee, which has now become the Executive Secretariat and which has co-opted OMVG as a member of the International Steering Committee.
The OMVG is a leading partner that showed an early interest in the 9th Forum, accompanying Senegal in the preparation process. It is Co-Chair of the Cooperation priority and thus actively participates in the work of the steering group.
OMVG has also signed a protocol with the Executive Secretariat, which illustrates our full support for the organisation of the Forum, which is a challenge that we must help to meet. The OMVG Council of Ministers has also instructed us to support the Secretariat in the preparation of the Forum in all its forms (scientific and organisational contents).
The expectations of OMVG are multiple, first of all the exchanges that this allows, but also the interest that development partners have in our activities and the possibilities of communication in favour of projects, water for peace and development.
OMVG will raise awareness among its financial partners, but also among the companies that work with it in the framework of its projects, but also and above all among the populations, to mobilise them so that the Forum can achieve all its objectives.
