In view of the upcoming organization of the 9th World Water Forum that Senegal will host in Dakar from 22 to 27 March 2021 under the theme of "Water Security for Peace and Development", the African water community is mobilizing to contribute to the success of the event. This is particularly the case of the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW).
A MOU signed with AMCOW in Abuja
A delegation of the Executive Secretariat led by Mr. Abdoulaye Sène carried out a mission in Abuja (Nigeria), from 16 to 19 February 2020, to the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW), Specialized Technical Committee on Water Security of the African Union.
The objective of the mission was, among others, to take stock of the state of preparation of the 9th World Water Forum; to examine the lines of collaboration between the Executive Secretariat of the Forum and AMCOW; to define a strategy for the political mobilization of African States and their scientific and technical contribution to the Forum; to exchange on practical modalities and identify synergies of actions to be developed, particularly in terms of communication, sharing and dissemination of information to African and international networks, and to discuss the practical modalities for signing a partnership protocol with an action plan leading to the Forum, as a strategic and political support.
The Executive Secretary of AMCOW, Mr. Canisius Kanangire, took the opportunity to thank and congratulate Senegal for its commitment to host the World Water Forum on behalf of all Africa. He reassured as to the commitment of his institution to fully play a major role in the political mobilization of the States, while detailing the strategic and technical support that its structure will provide to Senegal within the framework of the preparation and organization of the Forum.
The Executive Secretary, in turn, thanked him for his availability and constant support for the preparatory process. He was also pleased with the responsiveness of his colleague, who proposed actions whose implementation would ensure better mobilization of Africa at the next Forum. The Executive Secretaries proceeded to sign the partnership protocol and the accompanying action plan.
The AMCOW Executive Secretary concluded by promising to transmit in the coming weeks the names and contact details of experts he will appoint to contribute to the Forum's working groups, while reaffirming his availability to support the preparation of the Political Summit, an area in which AMCOW already has a long experience.
About AMCOW: The African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) was established in 2002 in Abuja, Nigeria, with the primary objective of promoting cooperation, security, social and economic development and poverty eradication in Member States through the efficient management of the continent's water resources and the provision of water services.
In 2008, at the 11th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Sharm el-Sheikh, the AU Heads of State and Government agreed on commitments to accelerate the achievement of water and sanitation targets in Africa and mandated AMCOW to develop and monitor a strategy for the implementation of these commitments. AMCOW was also granted the status of a Specialized Committee on Water and Sanitation within the African Union.
