AMCOW witnesses Africa Water Facility’s 22nd Governance Council and 2nd Donors Meetings

On 3-4 November 2022, the 22nd Governing Council Meeting of the African Water Facility and 2nd Donors Meeting, held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire – with AMCOW in participation.

The AWF, an initiative of AMCOW, is a crucial instrument hosted by the African Development Bank for funding projects preparation towards pursuing water and sanitation goals in Africa.

The meeting was attended by representatives of organisations, including the, the Deputy Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Republic of Ghana, S E M Sidonie Moussirou, Le ministre délégué auprès du ministre d’État, ministre de l’Énergie et des Ressources hydrauliques, Ms Tine Anbaek, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Ms Agnes Moser, Austrian Development Agency, Mr Aage Jorgensen, Nordic Development Fund, Mr James Dumpert, USAID, Jan Willem Rosenboom, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, M Ridha Gabouj, Director General Tunisia, Mr Osward Chanda, Director AHWS/AWF, and Mr Johannes Mtchera Chirwa, Coordinator AWF.

As part of the annual statutory meetings of AWF, the 22^nd GCM reviewed the progress of the fiscal year of 2022, gave strategic direction, and approved the work plan and budget for 2023. As a Member of the Governing Council, AMCOW’s involvement in the AWF’s statutory meeting is essential to set the agenda for supporting project preparation. The event presented an opportunity for the AMCOW Secretariat and the AWF to reinforce the implementation of their work plans as follows mutually:

• To jointly work on investment promotion/resources mobilisation activities;
• To leverage AMCOW’s convening mandate to facilitate dialogue processes among riparian Member States to unblock bottlenecks constraining progress on implementing transboundary projects; and,
• To utilise engagements with the leadership of Member States to draw attention to sorely needed solutions to the political challenges faced on some of the projects.

The 22^nd Governing Council Meeting of the AWF made critical decisions on the following:

1. The endorsement of the plans for investment promotion to secure downstream investment for AWF grant-funded investment-ready projects
2. Continued engagement between the AWF and partners to articulate an appropriate mechanism for supporting project preparation, particularly in non-fragile Member States. Mechanisms modelled on a reimbursable grant window to be explored to strengthen the sustainability of the Facility;
3. Endorsement of agreed changes to AWF Operational Procedures and Establishment instrument;
4. Approval to operationalise a dedicated window for the Africa Urban Sanitation Fund (AUSIF); and,
5. The approval of the 2023 AWF Work Plan and Budget.

The AWF will continue its revitalisation effort to assure the world of its relevance in supporting Africa’s funding requirements for project preparation. On the other hand, AMCOW Secretariat will continue to work with the AWF team to advance the opportunities for mutual reinforcement of the implementation of each other’s work plans.