In March 2023, delegates from around the world convened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the UN 2023 Water Conference. AMCOW, the African Ministers’ Council on Water, played a crucial role in shaping the discussions and outcomes of the conference, showcasing Africa’s commitment to water security and sanitation for all.

One of the highlights was the AMCOW/OSAA side event, a collaboration between AMCOW and the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa. This event addressed sustainable water availability for all purposes, emphasising the importance of water access and management.

Another significant moment was the official launch of the Team Europe Initiative. AMCOW was pivotal in supporting this initiative to enhance collaboration between Africa and Europe in tackling water-related challenges.

A significant highlight was the launch of the 2022 Report on the ‘Implementation of the July 2008 Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration.’ This report, compiled with contributions from 44 Member States, responds to AMCOW’s mandate from the African Union Heads of State and Government to report yearly on the State of Water and Sanitation in Africa. It provides valuable insights that position Africa to build a better Africa Water Vision, particularly as we approach the post-2025 period.

Furthermore, AMCOW partners and Member States organised several side events, providing valuable platforms for knowledge exchange, sharing best practices, and showcasing innovative water management and sanitation solutions.

AMCOW also engaged in bilateral meetings with government officials, international organisations, and financial institutions throughout the conference. These meetings fostered important dialogues, explored collaboration opportunities, and strengthened partnerships.

AMCOW extends its gratitude to Member States, the leadership of partner institutions, and all participants for their invaluable contributions, which shaped the outcomes of the conference.

AMCOW appreciates the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs for the opportunity to participate in this conference, amplifying Africa’s voice and commitment to water security and sanitation for all. Together with stakeholders, AMCOW is determined to implement the outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference and work towards a sustainable future.

To download our full Briefing Note, go to AMCOW Knowledge Hub: https://knowledgehub.amcow-online.org/resource/briefing-note-on-amcows-activities-at-the-un-2023-water-conference

The Team Europe Initiative (TEI) launch took place during the week of the UN 2023 Water Conference, with David Lymer representing the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Sida supports the Abuja-based African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW). The ongoing contribution to AMCOW builds institutional capacity for 2018-2023 (40 MSEK) to support their role and mandate as an African mechanism for water and sanitation under the African Union – with the natural entry points to the African Union and water ministries of African countries.

These 55 Member Countries of AMCOW are represented by their water Ministers in the AMCOW steering committee. Preliminary findings in a Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Sida support to AMCOW demonstrate excellent and tangible results.

Sida’s engagement within the ”Team European Initiative for Transboundary Water Management in Africa” has been carried out so far through our support to AMCOW. In the dialogue with the European Union (EU) around the TEI, Sida has demanded a clear and coordinating role for AMCOW. Sida is currently discussing with AMCOW about a second phase of support (50 MSEK, 2023-2026).

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) has released the 2022 Report of the “Implementation of the July 2008 Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration (Assembly/AU/Decl.1 (XI)). This version has been compiled with contributions from 44 Member States through the conduction of self-assessments.

The 2022 Africa Water and Sanitation Report marks a significant milestone for Africa’s water and sanitation sector. Recognised and supported by key stakeholders, the report provides a comprehensive overview of the continent’s current state of water and sanitation. By offering valuable insights and recommendations, the 2022 Africa Water and Sanitation Report aims to inspire a revolution in Africa’s water and sanitation sector.

Endorsed by African Ministers responsible for water in October 2022, the WASSMO Report was officially launched during the prestigious UN 2023 Water Conference in New York in March. Esteemed representatives from the African Union, Member States, the African Development Bank, and other partners have praised the report, recognising its significance in implementing commitments to water and sanitation.

Launching the Report marks a significant step in addressing the challenges and opportunities in Africa’s water and sanitation sector. By offering valuable insights, recommendations, and comprehensive data, the report aims to inspire change in the management and provision of water and sanitation services in Africa. The goal of ensuring access to safe and reliable water and sanitation services for all Africans can be achieved through collaboration and collective efforts. Let us join hands together to improve Africa’s water and sanitation landscape.

Beyond mere statistics, the 2022 Water and Sanitation Report provides a comprehensive overview of the achievements, challenges, and critical recommendations for the future of water and sanitation in Africa. As significant actors in the sector, AMCOW believes this report will be indispensable for individuals and organisations seeking to impact water and sanitation positively.

Cite the WASSMO Data

Cite the Africa Water and Sanitation Report in your discussions, presentations and other materials to raise awareness and deepen the understanding of the vital issues surrounding water and sanitation in Africa. The ultimate goal is to ensure that safe and reliable water and sanitation services reach every corner of the continent.

Download your copies in French and English.

Click the links to watch our YouTube videos: English video and the French version.

4th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Committee of the African Ministers’ Council on Water, held on Thursday, 23 February 2023.

Honourable Ministers,

Esteemed Members of the TAC

Colleagues from the Secretariat,

I am honoured to deliver this vote of thanks and gratitude to our leadership.

I will start with you, Honourable Carl Herman Gustav Schlettwein in both your capacity as the Minister for Agriculture, Water and Land Reform of the Republic of Namibia and the AMCOW President for 2021 – 2023.

Working under your leadership has been a truly enriching experience, characterised by immense learning and growth at the Secretariat.

With your guidance, we have been able to scale to new heights.

You have passionately defended AMCOW’s interests and always been direct in negotiations on behalf of AMCOW in Africa and globally. This has demonstrated our strength as an organisation and improved our franchise value globally. Your leadership has revitalised AMCOW’s convening power as demonstrated by:

1. the response by the substantive Ministers responsible for water affairs in Africa to your invitation to the 13^th Ordinary Session of the Executive Committee;
2. a similar response to your hosting of the Africa Focus Seminar at the 2022 World Water Week;
3. the response by high-level dignitaries from all over the world to your hosting of the Focus on Africa session at the 2022 UN Summit on Groundwater; and,
4. the response to the advocacy campaign that AMCOW has led for the nomination of a Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Water.

It is thus our collective responsibility to jealously preserve this legacy and continue – under the leadership of Honourable Prof Hani Sewilam – on the growth path you have set. And to you Hon Eng Suleiman Adamu, AMCOW’s host Minister in Nigeria and Vice President for West Africa for the period 2021-2023.

1. Your accessibility and enviable willingness to give freely of your time to advance AMCOW matters;
2. Your profound insight into the political economy of motivating concrete action to move the water and sanitation agenda forward; and
3. Your prioritisation of AMCOW have been invaluable to our achievements in your tenure.

You have been a tireless AMCOW Brand Ambassador.

You made the AMCOW@20 celebrations without a doubt one of the highlights of the 9^th World Water Forum.

In your tenure, the Secretariat has lacked for nothing that relates to what is provided for under the Headquarters Agreement. Indeed, you have spearheaded ongoing efforts to secure land for the construction of a permanent Secretariat as per the Headquarters Agreement. This will not only address the requirements for space given the growth at the Secretariat, but will also contribute to assuring our financial sustainability.

And of course, it would be amiss of me not to mention the generous update to our fleet by the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through your office. We are forever in your debt.

Hon Schlettwein, Hon Adamu, allow me to reiterate that it has been an immense privilege to serve the two of you in this role, and I hope to learn more from both of you as we move forward.

Our appreciation goes out to all the Members of the Executive Committee for the period 2021 – 2022. The Vice Presidents: Hon. Engr Suleiman ADAMU; Hon. Sidi Mohamed TALEB AMAR; S E M Eloundou ESSOMBA GASTON; Hon. Dr. Eng. Habitamu Iteffa Geleta; and S E M Carlos A Fortes Mesquita ably represented by Hon Cecilia Chamutota. The guidance received during the tête-à-tête consultations with you shaped the regional priorities that in turn informed the decisions of the 13^th Ordinary Session of the EXCO on the AMCOW triennial work programme for 2022 to 2024.

Your leadership made it possible – for the first time – for us to have 5 regional consultations prior to an ordinary session of the Council. In so doing, we operationalised the bottom-up and top-down approach that is the cornerstone of responsive continental policy initiatives.

Allow me to also single out:

1. Hon Abida Sidik Mia and Hon John Bande of Malawi
2. Hon Cecilia Abena Dapaah of Ghana
3. Hon Alice Muthoni Wahome of Kenya
4. S E M Dr Maminata Traore Coulibaly of Burkina Faso
5. Hon Amb Jeanne Mujawamariya of Rwanda
6. Hon Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu of Zimbabwe
7. S E M Samou Seidou Adambi of Benin
8. The Kingdom of e-Swatini
9. Hon Eng Dr Habitamu Iteffa Geleta of Ethiopia
10. S E M Fidiniavo Rovoktra of Madagascar
11. Hon Sam Cheptoris of Uganda
12. Hon Jumaa Hamidu Aweso of the United Republic of Tanzania
13. Hon Kefentse Mzwinila of Botswana
14. Hon Senzo Mchunu of South Africa
15. Hon Eng Suleiman Adamu of Nigeria
16. Hon Carl Gustav Hermann Schlettwein of Namibia; and
17. Hon Prof Hani Sewilam of Egypt

You have led by example through contributing to ensuring the financial stability of the Secretariat to advance Africa’s water, sanitation and hygiene agenda. Allow me to highlight that your commitment to finance the core activities of AMCOW lies at the heart of the renewed interest from our funding partners to support AMCOW programmes.

To our Members of the Technical Advisory Committee, the policy initiatives undertaken during your tenure came to fruition with the benefit of your technical expertise. You invested your time to analyse all propositions and improve them to facilitate higher-level decision making and eventual practical implementation. This is what resulted in the delivery of, among others, the:

1. the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines;
2. the African Groundwater Programme; and,
3. the AMCOW Knowledge Hub.

To our TAC Chair, Mme Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata.

1. Your open-mindedness and disposition to listen;
2. your agility;
3. your decisiveness; and
4. your commitment to improve the financial situation at the Secretariat have all been crucial to our success during your tenure.

The dedication with which your team at the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform organised the 13^th Ordinary Session of the EXCO is reflected by success it was. You left an indelible memory of Windhoek and the Land of the Brave on all that took part in the 13^th Session of the EXCO.

Suffice it to say that your leadership has been inspiring and we will utilise all available opportunities to continue to benefit from it.

To my colleagues at the Secretariat, I would like to thank you for your excellent work. Your collective efforts have contributed significantly to the results reported in the AMCOW President’s handover report. Let us remain committed to the delivery of the expected outputs from our triennial work programme. We are bound to face setbacks along the way. What is important is for us to learn from our shortfalls and push forward with even more dedication.

In conclusion, I look forward to working with the new leadership while maintaining our engagement with the outgoing team. We remain at your service at all times, and I believe that by working together, we can achieve even greater success for AMCOW.

I thank you.

Abidjan, Ivory Coast – February 25, 2023

The 21st International Congress and Exhibition of the African Water Association (AfWA) and the 7th International Faecal Sludge Management Alliance presented a strategic platform for advancing African sanitation. This joint effort, held in Abidjan from February 19 to 23, marked the first time the two congresses converged under the theme, “Acting for sustainable resources management and access for all to water and sanitation in Africa.”

AMCOW participated prominently in the congress to contribute to shaping the conference’s outcomes and to promote Africa’s sanitation agenda among broader water and sanitation actors.

Central to the outcomes of AMCOW’s involvement was the presentation of the 2022 Africa Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring (WASSMO) Report in commitment to strengthening national data systems. Progress in utilising the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines (ASPG) was shared, including   Member States and implementing partners’ experiences. Also, AMCOW and the AfricaSan International Task Force (AITF) organised an AfricaSan7 preparatory meeting to determine the conference subthemes and share roles among partners for more effective coordination.

To crown it all, AMCOW and UNICEF delivered training to members of the Partner-Coordination and Engagement Platform (PCEP) to enhance their understanding of safely managed sanitation and hygiene practices.

AITF’s Preparation Ahead of the Seventh AfricaSan Conference

Some highlights of AMCOW’s activities during the congress are as follows:

1. Opening and Closing Plenary: AMCOW delivered a keynote address urging support for the ASPGs in Action initiative and received encouragement from AfWASA and FSMA to take ownership of commitments in the Blue Deal for Water Security and Sanitation.
2. Catalysing the actions for sanitation and hygiene policy reforms: A technical session focused on evidence-based data systems for sanitation and hygiene reforms.
3. Presentation of progress on adapting and implementing the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines (ASPGs): Here, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation emphasised the need for effective coordination in strengthening the policy environment for sanitation and hygiene.
4. Accelerating Progress to Safe Sanitation for All – a session co-organised by UNICEF and AMCOW focusing on global initiatives with the SDG6 framework: Here, partners demonstrated their contributions to governance, data and information, capacity development, and innovation.
5. Training of Partner Coordination Platform (PCEP): AMCOW, in collaboration with UNICEF, facilitated a training session on safely managed sanitation, enhancing ASPG utilization among PCEP members.
6. City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) Platform of Dialogue: AMCOW took a leading role in data and sanitation policy-related matters during this side meeting, bringing together global partners.
7. Strengthening Partnership and Facilitating Dialogue: Six bilateral meetings were held with partners, focusing on collaborative initiatives and knowledge exchange.

AMCOW’s AfWA and FSMA congress engagement promoted sanitation and hygiene efforts across Africa. It increased awareness, inspired collaboration, and provided a platform for showcasing best practices, ultimately contributing to the continent’s progress towards universal access to safely managed sanitation. The upcoming AfricaSan7 conference, with its finalized themes and engaged sector representatives, promises to be a crucial milestone in furthering these efforts. AMCOW’s commitment to partnerships and dialogue positions it as a key player in shaping the future of water and sanitation in Africa.

On 27 January, the African Ministers’ Council on Water Secretariat paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry for Sanitation and Water, Ghana. The delegation, led by the Executive Secretary of AMCOW, Dr Rashid Mbaziira, was received by the Minister of Water Resources, Ghana, Honourable Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

During the meeting, the Minister stated that Ghana had made strides in the sector. She highlighted that, by implementing some of its projects between 2018-2021, the Ministry has provided over 40 000 household toilets to help reduce open defecation in the country.

According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census released by the Ghana Statistical Service, the population with improved toilet facilities is about 80.9%. Of this, 25.3% of the populace use exclusive household toilet facilities (basic sanitation), and the remaining 55.6% use shared toilet facilities with multiple households. In addition, the 2021 Population and Housing Census released by the Ghana Statistical Service states that 87.7% of the populace has access to basic water supply services. During the meeting with Dr Rashid Mbaziira, Hon Mrs Cecilia Abena added that Ghana is on course to attain the Sustainable Development Goals Target 6.1.1. come 2030.

Regarding data management and information, the Minister reiterated that reliable and accurate data is critical for decision-making and planning, especially in a situation of limited resources.

She added that Ghana had participated actively during the production of the WASSMO report since 2011. In the last edition, Ghana was cited as one of the best-performing countries in data collection and reporting regarding meeting the WASSMO System’s numerous targets.

Even though developing the WASSMO report has been going on for some time, many countries, including Ghana, still find it difficult to provide data for some of the required indicators. Weaknesses exist in some national data, information management and monitoring systems, and the lack of credible and sufficient reporting on the state of the water resources within the African Continent, including Ghana, which has been the subject of various regional and global stakeholders’ fora.

In Ghana, a lot has been done to establish a robust monitoring system to help track the water and sanitation sector’s progress and to inform decision-making towards accelerated access to clean and safely managed water and sanitation services for all. Ghana will always play a key role in AMCOW. It will support policy revisions and the creation of reverse linkages for Ghana to share her experience and provide support to other Member States, says the Hon Minister.

On the revision of the African Water Vision, she added that Ghana is ready to be part of the countries to champion the commitment of developing a roadmap to formulate the post-2025 Africa Water Vision. The vision should be audacious enough to largely influence the post-2030 Developmental Agenda of the United Nations. The NGOR declaration in Senegal on ending Open defecation found space in the 2030 SDG targets, and the same must be the vision as we formulate the post-2025 Africa Water Vision. The Continent is blessed with substantial water resources, and the time has come to effectively harness these resources to better the lives of people within the Continent.