AMCOW handbook - the African Ministers’ Council on Water

H A N D B O O K A M C O W 11

2004-2007HANDBOOK FOR DECISION MAKERS


Afr ican Minister ’s Counci l on W ater TAC

Copyright © 2007 African Ministers’’ Council on Water

acknowledgement of the source is made. The African Ministers’ Council on Water would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of

this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purposes whatsoever without prior permission from the African Ministers’ Council on Water.Email: [email protected] - Website: http://www.amcow.org

DISCLAIMERThe contents of this report do not necessarily represent the view or policies of the African Ministers’ Council on Water or the contributory organisations. The designations employed, progress reports and/or presentations herein do not imply the expressions the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part o f AMCOW or the contributing partners and/or organisations concerning the legal status of any country, territory city or area or its authority, or concerning the delineation of its frontiers or boundaries.The websites referred to in this report were correct at the time of going to press. AMCOW cannot be held responsible for any subsequent changes.


HANDBOOK FOR DECISION MAKERS


Acronyms........................ 2Preface 3Foreword by AMCOW President .................................................................................................................... 51. The Making of AMCOW .................................................................................................................... 61.1 Nairobi informal consultation ............................................................................................................ 61.2 The Abuja Consultation ..................................................................................................................... 71.3 The Bonn consultation ...................................................................................................................... 71.4 The Abuja Declaration ...................................................................................................................... 81.5 Institutional Consolidation ................................................................................................................. 92. Institutional Structure of AMCOW ................................................................................................... 102.1 AMCOW Governing Council ........................................................................................................... 102.2 AMCOW Executive Committee ....................................................................................................... 102.3 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) ..............................................................................................112.4 Sub-regional Committees ................................................................................................................112.5 AMCOW Secretariat ........................................................................................................................112.6 AMCOW Strategy Unit .....................................................................................................................113. How AMCOW Works ...................................................................................................................... 134. Joining Hands: Partnerships and achievements ............................................................................. 144.1 The Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON) ................ 144.2 Leadership of AU ............................................................................................................................ 144.3 Engaging with NEPAD .................................................................................................................... 154.4 Engaging with the AfDB .................................................................................................................. 154.5 Cooperation with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) .......................................................... 164.6 Cooperation with African River and Lake Basin Organizations (R/LBOs) ...................................... 164.7 Co-operation with African civil society ............................................................................................ 174.8 Co-operation with other African ministerial bodies .......................................................................... 184.9 Engaging the UN system ................................................................................................................ 194.10 EU’s enabling role ........................................................................................................................... 204.11 Africa’s contribution to Millennium Development Goals (MDG) ...................................................... 214.12 Cooperation with Ministers of Finance ............................................................................................ 214.13 Strengthening cooperation with development cooperation partners ............................................... 225. Conclusion: The Way Forward ........................................................................................................ 236. Appendices ..... 256.1 Abuja Declaration ........................................................................................................................... 256.2 Ministerial Commitments from PANAFCON ................................................................................... 256.3 Sirte Declaration ............................................................................................................................. 25

6.4 Commission for Africa report (Water component) ........................................................................... 25

Table of contents


AfDB African Development Bank

AMCEN African Ministers’ Council on Environment

AMCOW African Ministers’ Council on Water

ANBO African Network of Basin Organisations

ANEW African Network of Civil Society Organisations on Water and Sanitation

AU African Union Commission

AWF AfDB/African Water Facility

EAC East African Community

ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States

EU European Union

EU/WI EU Water Initiative

EXCO AMCOW Executive Committee

FEMA Forum for Environment Ministers of Africa

GTZ German Technical Cooperation

GWP Global Water Partnership

IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management

NEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s Development

PANAFCON Pan African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water

R/LBO River and Lake Basin Organisations

RECs Regional Economic Communities

STAP Short Term Action Plan

STC Specialised Technical Committee of AU

TAC AMCOW Technical Advisory Committee

UN United Nations

UN/ECA United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

UNEP United Nations Environmental Programme

UNESCO United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

UNSGAB United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water.

WSP-AF The Water and Sanitation Programme for Africa Region

WWF World Water Forum

ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States

EU European Union

GTZ German Technical Cooperation

GWP Global Water Partnership

IBWT Inter-basin Water Transfer

INBO International Network of Basin Organisations

IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management

KOBWA Komati Basin Water Authority

LHWC Lesotho Highlands Water Commission

LVBC Lake Victoria Basin Commission

MWE Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda

List of Acronyms


The formal launch of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) was presided over by His Excellency, Olesegun Obasanjo,

President of the Republic of Nigeria, in Lagos in April 2002. It is significant that the launch took place almost one year after the coming into being of the African Union – a fulfilment of the aspirations in the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action, which envisaged the establishment of the African Union, adopted in Nigeria by the Heads of State and Government of the then Organization of African Union (OAU).

As the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) comes of age and as we commemorate its 5th Anniversary with the publication of this Handbook, we pay tribute to those whose vision, commitment and leadership helped establish AMCOW which the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture referred to as a “prime example of how African Governments are now taking control of our own development”.

Within a relatively short period, AMCOW has moved from being an idea to becoming a developed mechanism that embodies the collaboration and commitment shown by African governments, civil society groups, development co-operation partners, financial institutions and the United Nations. The February 2004 Extraordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government of the AU, held in Libya, adopted the Sirte Declaration by which the Africa’s leadership expressed support for AMCOW for its role in spearheading efforts to address Africa’s water policy challenges.

This Handbook narrates the beginnings of AMCOW, recognising the selfless contribution made by governments and partners, and also celebrates the achievements. Many have made these achievements a reality but so much is owed to those who initiated the process of establishing AMCOW for their visionary leadership at a very critical and defining moment.

The dedication of this handbook is an acknowledgement of the debt owed to the AU Commission, Regional Institutions, including African Ministers’ Council of Water and their experts, NEPAD, African Development Bank, members of UN Water/Africa, African Civil Society Groups, African River and Lake Basin Organizations; African Water Task Force, EU and Development Co-operation Partners all of whom contributed to the making of AMCOW, its launch in Nigeria in April 2002, the sub-sequent regional co-operation on Africa’s water policy challenges as well as fostering international partnership

Much is owed to innumerable persons for catalysing the establishment of AMCOW, taking the first steps and leading the way. These distinguished personalities are symbolised by:• His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo,

President of the Republic of Nigeria;• H.E. Mr. Mukhtari Shagari, Federal Minister of

Water Resources, Nigeria and first President of AMCOW;

• H.E. Mrs. Maria Mutagamba, Minister of Water and Environment, Uganda, and President of AMCOW (2004 May 2007);

• H.E. Mr. Ronnie Kasrils, Minister of Intelligence, South Africa and Minister of Water during the period (2001 – 2006);

• H.E. Mr. Mackiy Sall, Prime Minister of Senegal, previously Minister of Water;

• H.E. Edward Lowassa, Prime Minister of Tanzania, former Minister of Water;

• H.E. Mrs. Martha Karua, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (Kenya) , former Minister of Water;

• H.E. Moleleki Monyane, Minister of Natural Resources, Lesotho.

These distinguished personalities played an exemplary role and demonstrated vision, determination and commitment which contributed greatly to the transformation of AMCOW into a formidable regional ministerial body for addressing Africa’s water policy challenges.

Preface


The AMCOW Handbook is being presented at the 6th Ordinary Session of the AMCOW Governing Council in Brazzaville,

Republic of Congo (May 2007). In 2007, AMCOW is celebrating five years of its existence. The celebration coincides as well with the fifth anniversary of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD 2002) which was hosted by our continent. The ordinary session is notable also because it marks the transition of the AMCOW presidency from Uganda to the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of AMCOW.

Any anniversary is an occasion for taking stock as well as charting a way forward. It is a time for deep reflection on the challenges and achievements of the past, and learning lessons from the experiences. It is also an opportunity to intelligently anticipate the future, and devise appropriate strategies, based on the lessons learned, to tackle new challenges. In the case of

an organization, such as AMCOW, such reflection necessarily requires an informed knowledge of the historical genesis of the organization, the evolution of its constituent structures and their designated functions, the rules of procedure of the organization, its external partnerships and modalities of working with them, the specific activities the organization has been engaged in and is currently engaged in, its strategic work plan, and its assessment of future challenges and opportunities. This Handbook has been prepared to fulfil this need. The Handbook is meant to provide a comprehensive view of the organization and work of AMCOW, in order to give new members of the Council the knowledge tools they will need to effectively undertake their decision-making responsibilities, and to serve as a support to all members in ensuring continuity from the past to the future work of the Council.

The Handbook is the outcome of a collective effort by the Office of the AMCOW President and AMCOW Secretariat, with inputs and support provided by several partners of AMCOW. The intended audience for the publication comprises: the current and future members of the constituent organs of AMCOW, regional and international partners of AMCOW, and others interested in knowing about the organization and work of AMCOW. AMCOW intends to update the Handbook prior to each future ordinary sessions of the Governing Council.

Mrs. Maria MutagambaPresidentAfrican Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW)

Foreword by AMCOW President


The Mission of AMCOW

AMCOW’s mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy for the protection, management and

wise utilisation of all Africa’s water resources for sustainable social, economic and environmental development, and for the maintenance of the integrity of Africa’s ecosystems in furtherance of the AU’s vision and the NEPAD goal.

1. The Making of AMCOW

In 1998, the UN agencies recommended

that the United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP) should chair the Water Working Group

of the United Nations System-wide Initiative on

Africa (UNSIA). UNEP, as a first step, working

with other co-chairs, was requested to develop a

strategy for consolidating progress in the work of

the group. This led to UNEP hosting a technical

meeting in Nairobi at which a strategy on the

way forward was proposed and endorsed. The

agencies requested the working group (water

cluster) of the UNSIA, under the leadership of the

co-chairs (UNEP, World Bank and World

Meteorological Organization (WMO) to

take the necessary steps to “explore

the feasibility of organizing a regional

ministerial forum on water” in Africa.

It is noteworthy that the New

Partnership for African Development

(NEPAD) was launched in the year

2001. Its implementation called for

specific responses from Governments

throughout the continent. The Ministers

responsible for various sectors were

asked to devise strategies for achieving

the goals of NEPAD. It was recognized that the

Ministers of Water in Africa, in view of the centrality

of water resources in sustainable development,

have a special role to play. The objective of the

section dealing with water and sanitation includes

the need to: (a) plan and manage water resources

to become a basis for national and regional co-

operation and development, (b) co-operate on

shared rivers among member states and (c)

ensure sustainable access to safe and adequate

clean water supply and sanitation, especially for

the poor.

1.1 Nairobi informal consultation

In response to the task given to the UN

agencies, UNEP and the UNSIA Secretariat,

the World Bank, UNESCO and other agencies

extended support to the informal consultations of

selected ministers responsible for water, which

took place in Nairobi, Kenya, on 11 October 2001.

These consultations took place in the margins of

the launch of the technical segment of the African

Water Forum (AWF) at the same venue and

The Mission of AMCOW


convened with support of the World Bank (11-12

Oct. 2001).

In order to construct an effective mechanism

for regional cooperation and development of water

resources, it was clear that several elements would

be critical. There would need to be consensus

among governments on the structure to be put in

place, and this would require the active participation

of more Ministers in the discussions. Thirdly,

the process would require clear steps in order to

eventually lead to the desired outcome. To this

end, the informal Nairobi consultations outlined the

following steps for the way forward:

• Consensus building: A consensus was reached

on the need to establish an intergovernmental

mechanism for policy dialogue on challenges

of water resources management in Africa. It

was also agreed that the consultation should

be institutionalized to be held regularly and

to involve all Ministers responsible for Water

Resources in the 53 African countries.

• Framework for advocacy: The Ministers

discussed and further agreed as follows:

• Joint Coordinators were designated - Minister

of Water Resources, Nigeria, to be responsible

for English, Spanish, Portuguese and Arab

speaking countries and to Chair the coordination

and preparations; Minister of Mines, Energy and

Water Resources, Senegal, will be responsible

for French speaking countries, Guinea-

Bissau and Cape Verde and to Co-Chair the

coordination and preparations.

• Three Ministers would support the coordinators

as follows: (a) Minister of Water Resources,

Lesotho, would support Nigeria to cover

countries of the SADC sub-region and

Madagascar; (b) Minister of Water Resources,

Lands and Environment, Uganda, would

support the Chair by covering English speaking

countries of the East African sub-region,

Sudan, Egypt and other countries in the Horn

of Africa, and (c) Minister of Water Resources,

Cameroon, would support the Chair by covering

countries of the Central Africa Sub-region.

It was also proposed:

• To have a second round of informal consultations

in Abuja, Nigeria.

• To expand the consultations to include all the

other ministers of water in the Africa region.

• To hold the third round of informal consultations

in the margins of the Bonn Conference on

Freshwater (3-7 December 2001) at which the

Ministers would consider specific proposals on

the way forward.

• To request a consortium of partners to assist

them; UNEP specifically was requested to

help coordinate the efforts of the consortium

of partners (which included the World Bank,

UNEP, UNESCO and UNSIA Secretariat).

The Nairobi consultations proved to be the

beginning of an extensive dialogue that would

ultimately lead to the founding of AMCOW, within

the context of mounting global concern about

Africa and the need for African countries to take

the lead in addressing the continent’s numerous

developmental problems, particularly in the lead up

to the World Summit on Sustainable Development

in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the latter half of

2002. The participants in this early dialogue were

the pioneers of this process, and they succeeded

in charting a roadmap that led the way to the

successful outcome.


1.2 The Abuja ConsultationThe second round of informal consultations

was held in Abuja, Nigeria in November 2001. In

attendance were Nigeria, Senegal, Lesotho, Uganda

and Zambia. After substantive deliberations, it

was reiterated that a number of important steps,

highlighted below, were critical to water-related

policy-making and activities in Africa.

In order to be able to advance the consultative

process, it was agreed, inter alia, that:

• The first consultative meeting of African

ministers responsible for water resources would

be held in the first quarter of 2002.

• The overall message theme for the conference

could be “Towards a regional and global

alliance to tackle the water crisis in Africa”,

while the theme could be “Water - A Key for

poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods

in Africa”.

• Further consultations would be held at the

margins of the Bonn International Conference

on Freshwater, Germany, when the statement

prepared in Abuja would be issued by

ministers.

1.3 The Bonn consultationAt the margins of the Bonn International

Conference on Freshwater (3-7 December 2001)

ministers and representatives from 23 African

countries held intensive consultations during daily

breakfast meetings to further build consensus

on their Ministerial initiative for water in Africa.

The daily discussions were chaired by Dr. Klaus

Toepfer, the UNEP Executive Director, and were

also joined by other UN representatives as well as

the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

These breakfast discussions resulted in substantial

agreement on how to go about establishing a

regional mechanism, and identified a number of

issues to present to the conference in the form of a

declaration, which inter alia:

a) Called upon the co-operating partners of Africa

and the international community to support

a regional and global alliance for tackling the

water and sanitation problems in Africa.

b) Expressed determination of African

Governments, non-governmental organisations,

civil society and the private sector to extend

full support to the implementation goals of the

NEPAD. In this regard, they declared to focus

efforts on:

• Governance of the water sector • Intergovernmental policy dialogue for

water security • Financing for the development of the water

sector • Building capacities for the management of

the water sector • Transferring appropriate technology • Meeting the water needs of our urbanising

centers • Guaranteeing adequate water, sanitation

and hygiene services


• Strengthening the role of women in the

management of our water resources

and the provision of adequate sanitation

services

• Linking the freshwater environment with

the coastal and marine environment

c) Count on that new culture of international

solidarity in tackling the concerns highlighted

in this statement. It is their hope that future

international support will be proportionate to

the gravity and magnitude of the water and

sanitation problems in Africa.

d) Called for a regional and global alliance for water security for all in Africa as a key to poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods.

e) Resolved to institutionalise ministerial level policy dialogue on water issues. To this end, they decided to establish an African Ministerial Conference on Water (AMCOW).

The ministers stated “Such a Ministerial forum will enable our region to facilitate the development of common perspectives and positions on the agenda items of major international conferences”.

The Bonn Conference was a major preparatory event for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and gave significant impetus to the attention that would be accorded to freshwater issues at that event nine months later. The WSSD itself was of special historical importance to African countries. Not only was it being hosted by Africa, but it would also bring the world’s focus on Africa’s problems to a level that had not been reached before. In this sense the WSSD served as a strong incentive to African governments to show that they would take the lead in addressing the major development issues on the continent, not least of all in the area of water and sanitation. It was this spirit of Johannesburg that largely contributed to building the political will among

African Ministers concerned with water to make every effort to forge a consensus on constructing an effective mechanism for coordinating water policy and strategies in the region. The Bonn breakfast meetings marked the departure of the train from the station, to roll with steady determination towards the launching of AMCOW the following April, and on to the WSSD with all passengers on board.

1.4 The Abuja Declaration

As declared by the African water Ministers in Bonn, it was “Resolved to institutionalise ministerial level policy dialogue on water issues. To this end, they decided to establish an African Ministerial Conference on Water (AMCOW).” With the clock ticking towards Johannesburg, there was an urgent need to organize an inclusive meeting of all African water Ministers along with their development cooperation partners and other stakeholders. Hon. M.S. Shagari offered to host the meeting in Nigeria, and it was agreed to hold the historical launching meeting of AMCOW in Abuja in April.

At the same time as preparations were underway for the inaugural meeting of AMCOW in Abuja, Nigeria, a parallel process was underway to develop the African Water Vision 2025, under the aegis of the Africa Water Task Force (AWTF). The AWTF met in Accra, Ghana, shortly before AMCOW’s Abuja conference, to finalize and launch the Water Vision. The first quarter of 2002 thus witnessed an intense level of activity around water issues. The process for preparing the Water Vision, which began at the first meeting of the World Water Forum in Morocco in 1997, provided an important policy framework for the subsequent design of AMCOW’s policy objectives and its work programme.

The Abuja conference also took place shortly after the founding of the African Union and the launching of the New Partnership for African


Development (NEPAD). The Lagos Plan of Action which led to the formation of the AU also foresaw the transformation of pan-African Ministerial bodies into Specialized Technical Committees of the AU.

These developments were to further inform the decisions taken in Abuja in April, 2002

Inauguration of the founding of AMCOW took place 29-30 April 2002 in Abuja, Nigeria. The inaugural conference was formally opened by H.E. Olesegun Obasanjo, President of the Republic of Nigeria, and was attended by the ministers responsible for water in Africa, as well as representatives of the AU, UNEP, WMO, and AfDB, among others. The principal outcome of the meeting was the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Water - A Key to Sustainable Development in Africa (see Annex 1), which formally established the African Ministers’ Council on Water. The Declaration also outlined agreements on AMCOW’s institutional arrangements to provide political leadership and strategic direction to region-wide efforts in the field of water, the functions of the Council, principles for providing support to initiatives, general governance arrangements, and the establishment of a trust fund.

Thus the Abuja Declaration culminated in a long process to forge and formalize a coordination structure for water policy dialogue and policy in Africa. AMCOW was born in Abuja, and, like the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) before it, represented an important milestone in the growing recognition that Africa must and will take the lead in bringing sustainable development to the continent.

1.5 Institutional Consolidation

Subsequent to the launch of AMCOW and decisions on the way forward, the Ministers realized the need for establishing the legal status of the

Council. The requirement for decision-making by consensus necessitated that membership include every African country, but institutionalizing AMCOW with a formal constitution would bar membership from one country that was not a member of the AU. As a result there was a general feeling that for an all-inclusive membership AMCOW should adopt a membership memorandum of understanding (MoU) rather than a constitution, as the former would not have formal legal implications on member countries. After a heated debate consensus was finally reached on this issue. A MoU was agreed, at the 5th Ordinary Session of the Council in November 2004, for ratification and signature by all member countries. AMCOW Rules of Procedure were also agreed during the 5th Ordinary Session.

During his opening statement to the Abuja Conference in April, 2001, Nigeria’s President Obasanjo assured his Government’s support, in whatever way it could, to the operations of the new Council. In particular, he offered that Nigeria could host the Secretariat for the Council. Coming from one of Africa’s most influential heads of state, this was not an offer to be refused lightly. Hence, it was agreed that the AMCOW Secretariat would be located in Abuja. Nigeria seconded a Government official to serve as the interim Executive Secretary of AMCOW, provided office space, and confirmed that it would allocate significant financial resources towards the operations of the Secretariat.

The Constituent Act of the AU mandated the establishment of Specialized Technical Committees (STCs), comprised of Ministerial bodies responsible for specific technical issues. At the 2003 PANAFCON, the AU in its remarks to the conference noted with satisfaction the evolution of AMCOW. Shortly afterwards, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, at their Extraordinary Session held in Sirte, Libya, in February 2004, declared their support for AMCOW


The institutional structure of AMCOW today consists of several political and technical entities at the regional and sub-

regional levels, working together to achieve the objectives of AMCOW. The structure is outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding governing AMCOW.

2.1 AMCOW Governing Council

The Council serves as the principal inter-governmental body on water issues and is composed of all 53 African Ministers responsible for water affairs in the region. The Council has the following functions:

• To keep the state of Africa’s water resources under review and promote desirable actions of common interest to Africa,

• To facilitate sub-regional, regional and international cooperation through the coordination of issues relating to water policies and actions among African countries,

• To support international cooperation on water-related issues through development of common positions on matters of global concerns as well as cooperation in implementation of relevant conventions and international agreements,

• To encourage mechanisms that promote best practices in water policy reforms, integrated water resources management, food security, water supply and sanitation, and also assist in delivery of national, sub-regional and regional programmes,

• To provide a forum for dialogue with UN agencies and other partners on water programmes,

2 Institutional Structure of AMCOW

• To promote, in the region, studies regarding climate change, develop policies and strategies for the management of water resources during drought and floods, and develop policies and strategies for averting water crises in Africa,

• To keep under review and constantly seek to strengthen the financing of the water sector in Africa,

• To promote sub-regional and basin-wide cooperation.

2.2 AMCOW Executive Committee

The region-level Executive Committee has the following functions:

• To deliberate on the decisions and recommendations of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and forward required decisions and issues for the deliberations of the Governing Council.

• To ensure that decisions of the Council are implemented,

• To endorse the programs and budgets for the approval of the Council,

• To decide on arrangements for the sessions of the Council, and

• To decide on strategic directions of the constituent organs of AMCOW.

The Executive Committee comprises the President of the Council and 15 other members—three members elected from each of the five sub-regions of Africa on a rotational basis. The members are selected by the sub-regions.


2.3 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

The region-level TAC provides technical support to the Executive Committee and the Governing Council for:

• formulation of policies and strategies for the consideration of the Executive Committee

• coordination with other institutions and partners, and

• operational follow-up of issues and decisions of the Council.The Committee comprises 15 technical experts,

3 each from the five sub-regions of Africa, on a rotational basis. The sub-regions decide which countries and experts are to be members of the Committee.

2.4 Sub-regional Committees

These consist of a Ministerial committee and technical experts responsible for ensuring that arrangements are in place for sub-regional coordination on AMCOW matters as well as providing inputs for the deliberations of the TAC. Sub-regional Committees have the following functions:

• Approval of sub-regional programs developed by sub-regional TACs,

• Coordination of sub-regional programs, and

• Reporting to the Executive Committee of the Council.

Each sub-regional committee is headed by a Vice President, selected by the sub-region on a rotational basis.2.5 AMCOW Secretariat

The Secretariat is headed by an Executive Secretary and is responsible for:

• day-to-day running of the Secretariat,

• taking follow up actions on the decisions of the Council,

• preparing programs and budgets for consideration by the Executive Committee,

• providing Secretariat services for the sessions and meetings of the organs of the Council, and

• reporting to the Executive Committee.

2.6 AMCOW Strategy Unit

To strengthen its knowledge-base for informed deliberations and decision-making, AMCOW has decided to create a Strategic Unit in collaboration with and with support from some of AMCOW’s partners. The Unit would ensure that the AMCOW organs—Governing Council, TAC, EXCO, Secretariat and sub-regional committees—receive information and professional advice, in a timely manner, to enhance their decision-making processes. The activities of the Unit would comprise: carrying out research, synthesising study reports, conducting policy studies and analyses, and collecting data and information at sub-regional, regional and international levels.


AMCOW conducts an Ordinary Session with the full ministerial contingent of the Governing Council once every two years, which is preceded by a TAC meeting and an EXCO session. TAC takes the responsibility for policy and strategy formulation, co-ordinating with other institutions, and operational follow up of the Council decisions within the respective sub-regions. TAC reports the progress made and raises issues and makes suggestions for further consideration by the EXCO. EXCO considers the inputs from TAC and forwards its own suggestions on issues to be discussed and decisions to be made to the Governing Council. In case of issues that require urgent decisions by the Council, the President is notified and directs TAC to convene emergency meetings. As an operational practice, TAC organizes itself into sub-committees and working groups, with representatives of relevant partners (including UN agencies), as needed, to deliberate on and handle issues/matters of specialized nature. TAC and EXCO also hold meetings in the interim of the Ordinary Sessions.

At the sub-regional level, AMCOW works through sub-regional Vice Presidents. They follow up AMCOW issues of interest, at sub-regional and

3 How AMCOW works

national levels, and regularly report these back to the TAC and EXCO for their consideration.

In its work, AMCOW collaborates with a number of development cooperation partners through their relevant water, environment, development and sanitation departments. These partners are often instrumental in providing technical and financial support for AMCOW’s activities. Recognizing the critical role of civil society in the water and sanitation sectors, AMCOW also maintains close relationships with representatives of civil society in the region, including representatives of women and youth. These representatives are invited to participate in the Ordinary Sessions and facilitated to provide inputs for the deliberations of TAC and EXCO.

In furtherance of AMCOW’s work, a system-wide communications system and a monitoring and evaluation system are being implemented. A web-site and a newsletter disseminate AMCOW’s reports and linked publications to a wide audience and all stakeholders.

The AMCOW Rules of Procedures guide how AMCOW conducts it business. The Rules guide the manner in which the Governing Council, EXCO,

TAC and the sub-regional bodies interact with each other and with non-AMCOW entities.


AMCOW’s accomplishments have been driven largely by a spirit of implementation through partnerships. This is evident from

the endorsement by the 2003 PANAFCON of a variety of initiatives led by different partners, such as AfDB (hosting the African Water Facility and implementing programmes such as the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative), UN-Water/Africa (mobilizing scientific and technical expertise and undertaking initiatives such as the African Water Journal), UNEP (providing institutional support and hosting the AMCOW Trust Fund) and development cooperation partners such as GTZ (providing both financial and technical support).

Working in the spirit of partnership requires AMCOW to have support structures that are flexible in approach, in order to adapt to an array of working relations with partners. Careful nurturing of such an architecture is critical to the future of AMCOW. This section provides an overview of the key partnership arrangements currently in place, in order to ensure the Council members fully take into account this important aspect of AMCOW’s way of working.

4.1 The Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON)

Under the aegis of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the UN system organised, as UN Water/Africa in partnership with the African Development Bank (ADB), the Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in December 2003. The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Government of Ethiopia served as Joint hosts of the Conference. The Conference represented a political commitment at the highest

level among African Governments to move forward in addressing the continent’s water development and management challenges.

African Governments along with representatives of the international and scientific community, civil society and the private sector met in Addis Ababa to determine how to collectively implement the actions envisaged in the African Water Vision 2025, the NEPAD water agenda, the World Summit’s targets and the Millennium Development Goals relating to water. The African Regional Implementation Forum mandated by the UN General Assembly’s Commission on sustainable Development (CSD) was organized as part of the Conference. Most importantly, the conference provided a platform for African countries, the international community and United Nations agencies to reaffirm their commitment to solve Africa’s water crisis. The major outcomes related to:• Establishment of the African Water Facility• The AMCOW Sub-regional Portfolio of

Programmes/Projects• The African Water Development Reporting

Process• Institution of the African Water Journal• Ministerial agreement to use the commitments

of the conference for developing a common African position and approach on issues of water and sanitation and communicate these to relevant fora.

4.2 Leadership of AU

The Heads of State and Government of the African Union, meeting at their 2nd Extraordinary Session held in Sirte, Libya, during 27 – 28 February 2004, declared their support for AMCOW for its role in developing the plans and policies related to the management of water resources on the African

4 Joining Hands: Partnerships and achievements


continent. The Sirte Declaration also recommended integration of AMCOW into the AU as one of the AU Specialised Technical Committees (STC).

The adoption of the Sirte Declaration by AU signified the recognition of AMCOW’s leadership responsibility in addressing the water and sanitation crisis in Africa, and its mandate for coordinating and implementing developments in that sector. The January 2007 AU Assembly agreed, in principle, that AMCOW should become a Special Technical Committee of the AU. The Assembly emphasized that AMCOW will be an autonomous and distinct STC, without any changes in the current structure of AMCOW. The formal constitutional, legal and other aspects of this incorporation of AMCOW into AU are being worked out and should be available in the near future.

4.3 Engaging with NEPAD

The water component of NEPAD has the objectives: (a) to plan and manage water resources as a basis for national development and regional cooperation, (b) to promote cooperation on shared water resources and (c) to ensure sustainable access to safe and adequate water supply and sanitation, especially for the poor. AMCOW’s role is to provide strategic direction for achieving these objectives through, inter alia, provision of ministerial responses to the water crisis in Africa, developing and promoting common African positions and perspectives on the global water agenda, and providing a platform for regional dialogue and cooperation on water policy.

NEPAD Secretariat has been very much involved in the establishment of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) for scaling up investment in infrastructure in the region and coordination of donor assistance. The Secretariat for the ICA is established and operational at the African Development Bank. Three staff in the Secretariat have been seconded from the AfDB,

United Kingdom and Japan. Financial support to the Secretariat activities has been received from AfDB, UK and Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), and additional offers of support have been received from World Bank, France and Russia. A website has been developed that will be used to disseminate information about the ICA activities.

4.4 Engaging with the AfDB

African Water Facility (AWF) is an initiative led by AMCOW to mobilize and apply resources for the financing of water infrastructure and water investment facilitating activities in Africa The overall objective of the AWF is to improve the enabling environment and strengthen water resources management so as to attract the massive and appropriate investments necessary to realise improved access to water and sanitation at the national and regional levels in Africa. The AWF assists Regional Member Countries (RMCs) to meet the targets and goals for the water sector that were established by the African Water Vision and the Millennium Development Goals. Under the decisions adopted at the PANAFCON, the African Development Bank is hosting the AWF on the request of AMCOW. The Governing Council of AWF comprises: 5 AMCOW members, 5 donor representatives, 1 representative of UN Water/Africa and 1 representative of civil society. The Council is chaired by AMCOW.

As mandated in the Entebbe AMCOW TAC and EXCO meeting in February 2006, the AWF organized a regional consultative meeting to share experiences and build partnerships to support African countries in water sector monitoring and evaluation. The meeting drafted a regional Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) action plan and concluded to undertake a pan-African M&E assessment under the guidance of Stakeholders’ Working Group. The initiative, spearheaded by AWF, is aimed at making


available data and information on the performance of the sector as an input to wise and informed decision-making. The initiative will provide: robust and strengthened country M&E through reliable data, make the right linkages with regional level M&E through reliable data, and harmonise basic indicators for water sector and, hence, facilitate tracking of the achievements of MDGs.

AMCOW and AfDB also collaborate on the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI). The Initiative aims to increase coverage of safe water and basic sanitation to 80% of the rural populations in Africa by 2015. Accordingly access to potable water supply will be extended to about 271 million people and 295 will benefit from sanitation services. RWSSI will focus on the provision of water supply and sanitation infrastructure in rural areas, and will contribute to the achievement of the MDGs in other sectors like health, education, gender and poverty. It will also contribute to the economic enhancement of the beneficiary communities.

The two organizations are also collaborating on organizing the Africa Water Week.

4.5 Cooperation with Regional Economic Communities (RECs)

In 2005, AMCOW signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Secretariats of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and secretariats of River and Lake Basin Organizations (RLBOs). According to the MOU, the Parties proposed to establish a Steering Committee, consisting of designated representatives of the Parties who will serve to define, monitor and operationalise all activities carried out pursuant to the MOU. All decisions of the Steering Committee would be taken by consensus among the participating Members. The Steering Committee would meet at least once a year at a venue and on dates to be mutually agreed upon between Parties.

Under the aegis of NEPAD’s Short Term Action Plan (STAP) and its adoption of the subsidiarity principle, projects requiring the involvement RECs are typically broad/regional in scope that would create externalities that, to be addressed, require more than usual cooperation among countries which the countries themselves may not perceive. This would happen, for example, when tackling the externalities would require a regional promoter to undertake region-wide studies, to facilitate and promote the harmonization of policies and regulatory frameworks and/or to undertake promotion, facilitation and sensitisation of country partner institutions and agencies.

The REC partners of AMCOW currently include: Southern African Development Community (SADC), Communauté Economique et Monetaire de l’Afrique Centrale, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Economic Commission for West Africa (ECOWAS).

4.6 Cooperation with African River and Lake Basin Organizations (R/LBOs)

Africa is unique among the world-regions in that all major water basins--rivers, lakes and aquifers-- in the continent are shared by two or more riparian states, and all states in Africa share one or more water basin(s) with other states. It is imperative, therefore, that ways be found for the riparian states in each international (shared) basin to cooperatively develop the full multi-use potential of the shared water resources in an environmentally sound and equitable manner. AMCOW, as a region-wide ministerial body, has a special responsibility and challenge to facilitate such cooperation.

AMCOW representatives met with the representatives of the River and Lake Basin Organizations (R/LBOs) in Kampala, Uganda in October 2006 to chart the way forward in engaging them in AMCOW’s continent-wide effort to address


the water crisis in Africa, especially in the area of transboundary water basin cooperation, as per the outcome of the PANAFCON. Building on the conclusions and recommendations of the Conference, AMCOW President mandated a Special Commission to come up with proposals towards developing a regional coordination mechanism and enhancing relations between AMCOW and R/LBOs, especially through the African Network of Basin Organizations (ANBO). The Commission (known as the Tekateka Commission) recommended to: establish a Water Basin Organization Sub-Committee of AMCOW, comprising the Executive Committee of ANBO, with a member of the AMCOW TAC as Chair; establish a Multi-Stakeholder Forum to coordinate inputs of key stakeholders, such as ANBOW, ANEW, GWP, Parliamentarians network on Water and the private sector in the deliberations of the Water Basin Organization Sub-Committee. These recommendations are under active consideration and implementation by AMCOW.

4.7 Co-operation with African civil society

The civil society in many parts of the world has been instrumental in water development, through its direct involvement in water supply and sanitation, water resources management, campaigns for national legislation, public awareness and empowerment of individuals and communities. In Africa, a number of international and local initiatives from civil society organizations (CSOs) have gone a long way in contributing to the provision of potable water and adequate sanitation facilities, especially in rural and slum areas and to the improvement of catchment’s management at the local and river basin level. The involvement of civil society organisations in water policymaking provides the opportunity for the lessons learnt from the implementation of these programmes to significantly benefit the African population.

In recognition of the above, the Ministerial Commitments made at the Pan African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (Addis Ababa, December 2003), include “Coherent engagement of governments, international organisations and institutions, UN specialised agencies, private sector, NGOs and others in reversing and halting the water crisis in Africa”. A strategy was agreed to be developed to guide the interactions between AMCOW and civil society, in order for AMCOW to reap optimal benefits from such interventions.

Considerable progress has already been made in terms of engaging civil society in the work of AMCOW with the formation of the independent African Civil Society Network on Water & Sanitation (ANEW). This platform seeks to facilitate the voices of African CSOs in water policy discussions and members have been present at the World Water Forums, UN-CSD, and AfDB meetings, and are invited to the ordinary sessions of AMCOW where they propose areas in which they would like to intervene and participate as well as collaborate with AMCOW. Open dialogue between AMCOW and ANEW has enabled fruitful interactions that serve the common interest of “reversing and halting the water crisis in Africa”. A Memorandum of Understanding to guide the relations between AMCOW and ANBOW has been endorsed.

4.8 Co-operation with other African ministerial bodies

AMCEN: In December 1985 in Cairo, Egypt, African

Governments convened a regional conference to agree on action for halting and reversing the wide-spread environmental degradation crippling economies and livelihoods in the region. The continent responded by establishing the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN). The Programme accorded particular


attention to the region’s natural resources, including water. A regional technical cooperation network on water resources was, inter alia, established as well as a Committee on River and Lake Basins.

Recognizing the intimate and intricate relationships between the environment and water resources, especially in light of the anticipated adverse impacts of climate change on water resources in the continent, AMCOW and AMCEN have been consulting on the opportunities and modalities for cooperative actions. The incorporation of AMCOW as a Specialized Technical Committee of the African Union, as with AMCEN, should further enhance the opportunities for close collaboration between and collective action by the two organizations. Among the proposed modalities for cooperation are joint meetings of the Bureau of African Inter-Governmental Ministerial bodies for the purposes of implementation and policy reviews, such as is being conducted at the international level, within the framework of the Commission on Sustainable Development. AMCOW and AMCEN, in close collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, could jointly formulate proposals for the consideration of the African Union.

FEMA: Areas of AMCOW’s collaboration with the

Forum of Energy Ministers in Africa (FEMA) include: advocacy for hydropower infrastructure development, policy matters and resource mobilization. AMCOW representatives attended the FEMA General Council meeting held in Maputo, Mozambique in March 2007. Among other issues, the conference discussed energy security and sustainability of supply.

The African Ministers responsible for water and energy initially met for the African Ministerial Conference on Hydropower and Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa in March 2006. At that meeting they resolved, inter alia, to:

• Agree to improve cooperation and coordination between the Ministers responsible for water and energy, particularly within the ambit of AMCOW as they have a good basis for cooperation; and

• Call upon AMCOW, the African Energy Commission (AFREC) and the Forum of Energy Ministers of Africa (FEMA), with the support of the relevant UN umbrella bodies, to implement the Action Plan of the conference.Formal avenues of collaboration between the

two organizations are now being developed to tap into possible synergies.

AMCOST: An Inter-Ministerial Dialogue on Building

an African Network of Centres of Excellence in Water Sciences and Technology, as per the recommendations of the Commission for Africa, was held jointly by AMCOW and the Bureau of the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology (AMCOST) in November 2006 in Cairo, Egypt. The dialogue, a culmination of a series of earlier consultations between AMCOW and AMCOST, was attended by ministers from several countries as well as representatives of the Office of Science and Technology of NEPAD and the AU Commission. The issues considered included: criteria and guidelines for choosing the centres, financial mechanisms and governance for the network of centres and other related issues. Ministers adopted an inter-ministerial declaration, approving the establishment of the network, approving its guidelines as a “living document”, and requesting AMCOW Secretariat and the NEPAD Office of Science and Technology to work further on governance and financing.

As is the case with AMCEN, the incorporation of AMCOW, as well as AMCOST, as a Specialized Technical Committee of the AU, would greatly enhance opportunities for collaborative action by the two organizations.


4.9 Engaging the UN system

A. UN Water/Africa

The UN-Water/Africa represents the regional body of UN-Water (Global) in Africa. It was established as a mechanism to co-ordinate the activities of the UN agencies working in the field of water in Africa and to strengthen their co-operation to avoid duplication to ensure most effective way for implementing their programmes. The UN Water/Africa member agencies in collaboration with African Development Bank have been, individually or collectively, actively supporting AMCOW since it was launched. They played an active role in the African Water Task Force, which successfully organized the Water Dome during the WSSD in 2002. UN Water/Africa, with support of the African Development Bank and under the aegis of AMCOW, successfully organized the Pan African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON) at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in December, 2003 and has supported the AMCOW activities in the World Water Forums (Kyoto, 2003 and Mexico, 2006).

The UN-Water/Africa members—UNEP, WMO, UNECA, UNESCO, FAO and UN-Habitat-- focus their activities in Africa on supporting and promoting NEPAD water sector activities as well as AMCOW activities. Within the overall framework of the Implementation of the African Water Vision 2025 and other internationally agreed development goals, such as the MDGs, they work to support NEPAD and AMCOW in implementing their programme to assist the African countries in promoting sustainable development and management of water resources. It should be noted that UNEP hosts the AMCOW Trust Fund.

The UNECA has been charged with preparing the Africa Water Development Report (AWDR) along the format of the World Water Development

Report (WWDR), using the methodologies developed under the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP). The AWDR has been prepared under the guidance of representatives of the component agencies of UN Water/Africa. The AMCOW President launched the African Water Development Report (AWDR) 2006 in an electronic form at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico in March 2006.

B. the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board (UNSGAB) on Water and Sanitation

Representatives of AMCOW, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board (UNSGAB) on Water and Sanitation, AU and AfDB held a dialogue in Tunis, Tunisia on 14 December 2006 with the objective of exchanging views on the UNSGAB Hashimoto Action Plan with African stakeholders in the field of water and formulate a framework of engagement of the UNSGAB in support of the ongoing African water initiatives and programmes. The Hashimoto Action Plan focuses on: Water Operators Partnership; financing; sanitation; monitoring and reporting; Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM); and Water and Disaster.

AMCOW outlined the opportunities for cooperation within the framework of the Hashimoto Action Plan as well as the areas of strategic priority for engagement of UNSGAB in Africa. The Dialogue partners agreed that the UNSGAB and AMCOW, with the AfDB, should chart a road map and action plan for implementing and following up the implementation of the agreed actions. The UNSGAB Secretariat and AMCOW TAC are entrusted with developing the detailed action plan

Among the proposals under review is collaborating on the holding of a Water Summit in 2008.


C. Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)CSD12

During CSD12, AMCOW representatives from Tanzania and Lesotho, respectively, co-chaired with France the Working Group on Integrated Water Resources Management, and with Denmark the Working Group on Water Supply and Sanitation.

CSD13AMCOW held a special side event during the

13th session of the CSD on “Implementation and Partnership for Achieving the Water, Sanitation and Human Settlements targets in Africa: Round Table Ministerial Dialogues”. The special side event aimed at the review of and discussion on the challenges and strategies for expediting implementation for achieving the water, sanitation and human settlements targets, contained in the Millennium Declaration and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, in Africa. The roadmap for the way forward in mobilizing the necessary political and policy responses to the water crisis in Africa were discussed. The Chairman’s report for the 13th session singled out AMCOW as a prime regional entity worth emulating by other regions.

4.10 EU’s enabling role

At CSD 12 there were extensive technical exchanges between the European and African partners that enabled the establishment of a strong working partnership between the EU and African partners, which culminated in the Pan-African Water Conference in Addis Ababa held in December 2003 and the adoption of an EU-African Joint Declaration on the implementation of the EU African Strategic Partnership on Water Affairs and Sanitation; and an outline ‘Strategy and Work Programme’ for 2004-2005 providing guidelines to drive the future stages of the development of the EU Water Initiative in Africa.

A meeting of AMCOW TAC and EU took place in Nairobi, Kenya in February 2007. The EU partners tabled a draft strategy report on the way forward towards the implementation of the EU Water Initiative. The strategy focuses on three areas: promoting water and sanitation issues within the African-EU Infrastructure Partnership (IP); establishment of a Water Policy Dialogue Forum (WPDF); and continuation of the EU Water Facility.

The EU Water Facility has made a grant of Euro 2.6 million to the AMCOW Trust Fund to support the implementation of the AMCOW Triennial Work Progamme.

On integrated water resources management – the first five basins which would benefit from initial EU support are Lake Chad (Central Africa), Orange-Senqu (Southern Africa), Lake Victoria-Kagera (Eastern Africa), Niger and Volta (Western Africa). Identification studies have been launched to determine where gaps lie and where action is needed, on the basis of which financial proposals for the release of funds available are to be prepared.

On water supply and sanitation--central to the Initiative’s success is a strengthened country dialogue between the recipient countries, donor countries and local stakeholders. Through coordination and harmonisation between donors and recipients the objective is to increase the efficiency of present and future aid flows to water sector development.

4.11 Africa’s contribution to Millennium Development Goals (MDG)

The Millennium Development Declaration (2000) called for the world to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water as well as the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation. It called upon the international community to combat desertification


and mitigate the effects of drought and floods; to develop integrated water resources management and water efficiency plans by 2005; and to support developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their efforts to monitor and assess the quantity and quality of water resources.

AMCOW recognizes that the attainment of the 2015 water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals will only meet the needs of half of those in Africa who need reasonable access to safe water and sanitation, and that the needs of the other half must still be met. Following AMCOW’s analysis it has been surmised that if African countries are able to maintain for a further three or four years the annual level of delivery achieved by 2015, the target of safe water and sanitation for all by 2025 could be achieved in the continent by 2020. For a major international target to have been met in Africa five years before its global deadline would represent an unprecedented and historic achievement and mark a major milestone in the continent’s humanitarian progress. The poor of Africa, who constitute the majority on our continent, need and deserve such an historic success.

AMCOW is collaborating with several regional and international partners in tracking the progress being made in the region with regards to achieving the MDG water and sanitation targets.

4.12 Cooperation with Ministers of Finance

Organized by AMCOW-East Africa, the Ministers responsible for Water and Finance in East Africa met in Nairobi, Kenya on 18 April 2007, preceded by a technical segment attended by senior officials. The aim of the meeting was to consider how best to maintain financing of the water sector in policies for Africa and create opportunities for achieving the 2005 IWRM target and the 2015 Millennium Development goals on water supply and sanitation.

The Ministers surmised that while substantial progress is being made in some countries in Africa to achieve the IWRM and MDG targets, substantial efforts at mobilizing and effectively using financial resources are critical, accompanied with high-level political commitment and strengthened water governance at all levels.

The Ministers noted that AMCOW, several international bodies, such as the EU, bilateral donors, Global Water Partnership (GWP) and several United Nations entities, have taken important steps to help initiate and accelerate action on the water agenda. They agreed to strengthen Africa’s own financing of water and to enhance engagement, collaboration, partnerships and alliances for achieving the IWRM and MDG targets.

4.13 Development cooperation partners

United Kingdom

Under the leadership of the G8 by the UK, the report of the Commission for Africa focused international attention on the severity of the existing and impending water crisis in Africa. While acknowledging the leading role of AMCOW in addressing the water policy and management challenges in Africa, the Commission’s report urged a heightened level of international awareness of the crisis as well as a much higher level of financial commitment, including for establishing an African Network of Centres of Excellence in Water Sciences and Technology .

World Bank Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP)

The WSP has been supporting and collaborating with AMCOW for some time on water and sanitation issues. The support highlights include: supporting the office of the AMCOW President on water and sanitation (WSS) issues, extending the


Country Status Overview (CSO) to cover more African countries, improving WSS monitoring at national and regional levels, and supporting work in other areas identified by AMCOW. A formal and predictable relationship between AMCOW and WSP is being developed.

German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)

The GTZ project “Co-operation among River Basin Organizations” was conceived following the Group of Eight (G8) meeting with African leaders under the NEPAD framework at Kananaskis, Canada in June 2002, where it was agreed to bring accelerated development in Africa. The Action Programme later became “The G8 Africa Action Plan”. Germany expressed interest in strengthening the capacity of transboundary water management institutions in Africa under NEPAD guidance. The project would span a ten-year period and support AMCOW to meet its overall mandate to act as a regional mechanism for co-operation on the critical water challenges in Africa.

The GTZ has also provided support for the staffing and operations of the Office of the AMCOW President. Following a project implementation agreement between AMCOW and GTZ in April 2005, priority has been given to the immediate requirements of AMCOW’s institutional structure and consultation mechanisms, including the sub-regional organs of AMCOW.

As a result of a review of the inception phase of the Action Plan (2006), two pillars are being added: strengthening AMCOW sub-regional structures and creation of an AMCOW Strategic Unit.

The NEPAD Secretariat has engaged with development partners to mobilize support for the capacity building of African regional institutions. In this regard the European Commission has discussed

financial support and the German Government has consulted with African stakeholders on the establishment of an Africa Capacity Building Fund to be hosted at the African Development Bank to support capacity of the RECs, AU Commission, R/LBOs, NEPAD Secretariat, etc. The German Government aims to request other partners to support the initiative during their presidency of the G8 and the European Commission.

Global Water Partnership (GWP)

GWP is supporting 12 countries in Africa to formulate IWRM plans for achieving the WSSD target. In 2005, GWP undertook an assessment of countries’ preparedness for meeting the MDG on water and a report was submitted to CSD-13. As a follow-up, national dialogues are being initiated and supported in a number of countries. In September 2006, GWP supported an East African sub-regional meeting of AMCOW. The meeting directed AMCOW TAC, with support from GWP, to prioritise identification of constraints and opportunities in financing water sector activities in the region. Additional meetings have been held in East Africa, South Africa and Western Africa.

Other Development Cooperation Partners

A number of other countries and agencies have been providing support to AMCOW through specific initiatives. These include the following:• Denmark: DANIDA and UNEP Collaborating

Centre have been supporting the process of preparing IWRM plans in several sub-regions.

• Canada: CIDA provides core support to UN-Habitat’s Water for African Cities initiative.

• France: provides support to the AMCOST-AMCOW-NEPAD process to develop Centres of Excellence on Water Science and Technology.


Never before has Africa faced so many critical and awesome challenges as in the last five years. Too many of the African

adults and children continue to die from too little water in droughts, from two much water in floods, or from polluted or disease-ridden water. On our continent today, 300 million people lack access to safe water and sanitation and these numbers are increasing by day. It was in response to these challenges that African Governments and institutions, civil society groups, the UN system and the international community, at large, showed collective visionary leadership and commitment in establishing the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW). That decision and, even more important, the actions taken since the founding of AMCOW in April 2002 – a relatively short five years ago – have guided and determined the strategies for tackling Africa’s water policy challenges. Continued leadership will be critical in consolidating the gains and achievements of the last five years.

While recognizing the significant achievements made by AMCOW and its partners in the recent years, the assessment we have jointly made, and which provided the rationale for convening the Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON) in 2003, is that the price for effectively addressing the current and future water challenges in the region is now alarmingly high, especially for the poor majority of people in our countries who still feel the multiple and devastating impacts of the African water crisis.

Our region’s development patterns have put additional pressure on our water resources, and

5 Conclusion: The Way Forward

those pressures are bound to multiply further still. There is also a growing societal gap in the provision of water and sanitation services. Our freshwater ecosystems have been hit hard by reduced and altered flow patters, by deteriorating water quality and by haphazard infrastructure construction and land conversions. More rivers have been disrupted, fewer rivers retain good ecological status and water quality has declined in many localities. A doubling of the poor populations without access to adequate water and sanitation is now a clear likelihood. Rampant urbanization across the continent and the growth of slums, often not served with water and sanitation, is likely to further increase the quoted numbers of those lacking coverage, perhaps by two-fold.

There is an increasing industrial water demand and growing water pollution from industrial sources in most of our countries. The rising cost of water-related disasters is today a central preoccupation of most of our Governments as the risks continue to mount and extract a heavy toll. It is often said that the water crisis globally, but particularly so in our region, is a crisis of governance which calls for specific national action programmes and appropriate institutional structures and mechanisms.

Financing action for water is another critical challenge in our region. The water sector remains seriously under-financed, but there are some promising signs. There are new funding initiatives, such as the African Water Facility. We have established the AMCOW Trust Fund, and we appreciate the commitments made by the member states as well as the solidarity shown by the international community to support the Fund. European Union and the United Nations


Environment Programme have already made contributions to the Fund, along with some member countries. We also hope that debt-relief, in which macro-governance in proving to be a major determinant, will begin to release funds in support of the achievement, in Africa, of the water-related targets in the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Action (JPoI).

AMCOW is dedicated to leading the way and bridging the gap between awareness and action. Ever since it was created in 2002, it has worked closely with the African

Union and the region’s other continental bodies, the EU, and the UN system, and it has forged new relationships with other African ministerial bodies, civil society groups, and African scientists and decision-makers to address the water policy challenges confronting our peoples. AMCOW’s achievements, in this regard, are heartening, as this Handbook demonstrates. These achievements form the foundation for consolidating and enlarging our accomplishments even further.

A gigantic task looms ahead. All of us in AMCOW will be gratified and rewarded if we continue to focus on implementation and partnerships that were the underlying themes of our 2003 Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water. Let us all join hands in making it happen through informed and resolute leadership.


6.1 Abuja Declaration

6.2 Ministerial Commitments from PANAFCON

6.3 Sirte Declaration

6.4 Commission for Africa report (Water component)

African Ministers’ Council on WaterHandbook for Decision MakersAppendices

Appendix 1 - Abuja Declaration

Appendix 2 - Ministerial Commitments from PANAFCON

Appendix 3 - Sirte Declaration

Appendix 4 - Commission for Africa report (Water component)

6 Appendices


Launch of the African Ministerial Conference on Water (AMCOW)

The Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Water -A Key to Sustainable Development

in Africa

Abuja, Nigeria29-30 April 2002


1. We, the African Ministers responsible for water meeting in Nigeria, from 29 - 30 April 2002, adopt the “Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Water - a key to Sustainable Development in Africa”;

2. We have, in adopting the Declaration, critically examined the global water situation and its implication for Africa.

3. We have, in this regard, duly noted that: (a) the need of humanity for adequate supplies

of freshwater, both for its survival and for social and economic development, will remain a major national and international priority in the years to come. An adequate supply of freshwater is the most important precondition for sustaining human life, for maintaining ecosystems that support all life, and for achieving sustainable development;

(b) the inescapable reality is that, without adequate supplies of clean, safe water, people will suffer and many will die prematurely, ecosystems will cease to perform their human-sustaining functions and the potential for social and economic development will be drastically reduced;

(c) ironically, freshwater is abundant throughout the world on a regional basis. It is, at the same time, however, unevenly distributed by nature and humans;

(d) while some countries have high per capita water availability, many others are now facing, or will soon face, a situation of water scarcity in which their populations and their social and economic development cannot be sustained with the available water resources in many regions, in others, it is already exhausted;

(e) many hundreds of millions of people already do not have access to adequate supplies of freshwater;

(f) in addition to nature’s water supply, humans in many regions are aggravating the problems with the prevailing - and incorrect view that water will be perpetually available.

4 We have also taken stock of the lessons learnt, notably, the issues of concern to Africa and reaffirm the position stated in our Declaration to the International Conference on Fresh Water, in Bonn on 7th December 2001. In that Declaration, we did draw attention, to the fact that a decade after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), more Africans lack access to safe water and sanitation. Almost half the people of the African continent suffer from water-related diseases. The result is economically crippling, and from a humanitarian standpoint, simply degrading.

5. We are determined to respond to the new and emerging challenges in Africa:

(a) In the Treaty establishing the African Union and in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), our Heads of State and Government, have clearly indicated that the destiny of our continent is in the hands of our peoples. We also recognize that the primary responsibility for ensuring the sustainable and equitable management of water resources, in Africa, rest with our governments and peoples. The Ministers of water, in this regard, have a special role to play.

(b) Each of our countries have put in place arrangements for the governance of water

Preamble


affairs at all levels. We shall strengthen governance of the water sector in Africa. We have already embarked on a series of water sector reforms. We continue to rely on our major groups, including the private sector, which have increasingly been joining hands with our governments and are contributing to bringing water and sanitation services to our peoples.

(c) We realize that much more needs to be done to encourage our riparian states to co-operate on matters relating to shared waters.


Institutional Arrangements to provide political leadership and strategic direction to region-wide efforts in the field of water

(a) Welcoming the adoption, by our Continent’s Heads of State and Government of the decision establishing the African Union,

(b) Further Welcoming the recent launch of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) with the overall objective of encouraging new approaches to Africa’s sustainable development challenges,

(c) Taking note of Africa’s assessment of the issues before the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD),

(d) Fully aware of the challenges posed by the Millennium Declaration and the regional intergovernmental responses essential to translating the Millennium Development goals into reality in Africa;

(e) Recognising, the commitments undertaken in the Declaration of African Ministers Responsible for Water at the International Conference on Freshwater in Bonn, Germany on 7th December 2001.

1. Decide to establish the African Ministerial Conference on Water (AMCOW).

2. Further decide, that AMCOW shall have the following functions:

(a) to strengthen intergovernmental co-operation in order to halt and reverse the water crisis in Africa;

(b) to monitor progress in the implementation of major regional and global water

initiatives so as to enhance our political commitment to them;

(c) to review progress in the implementation of the commitments set forth in key international arrangements for the provision of financial resources and technology transfer in support of water sector reforms in Africa. Our review will take into account progress made globally, in the achievement of the water-related goals in both the Millennium and the Malmö Ministerial Declarations,

(d) to receive and analyze, on regular basis, reports or information, on the adequacy of financial and technological investments in the water sector in Africa;

(e) to consider information provided by African Ministers of Water, for example during the regular sessions of AMCOW, regarding best practices in policy reforms in the water sector at the country level;

(f) to enhance and solidify intergovernmental and regional co-operation in the management of shared waters, including river and lake basins;

(g) to consider, where appropriate, information regarding progress made or needed in the implementation of intergovernmental agreements on river and lake basins;

(h) To consider where appropriate, global and regional programmes dealing with the water continuum. These include the Global Programme of Action on the Protection of Land-based Activities, the Regional Seas Programme, notably the

Resolutions(s) adopted by the African Ministers responsbile for water


Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions, etc. (which deal with the freshwater, coastal and marine environment interface).

(i) to consider, where appropriate, information provided by United Nations agencies and other international institutions regarding their respective programmes and activities in Africa relating to water;

(j) to organize systematic dialogue and consultations with regional and global financial mechanisms and with regional groupings on issues relating to water in Africa.

3. Also decide that AMCOW shall support measures which:

(a) encourage stronger and better performing governance arrangements for the water sector;

(b) ensure that water infrastructure and services deliver to the poor majority in our region;

(c) promote policies for the appropriate allocation of water among competing demands;

(d) support regional intergovernmental dialogue on the implementation of Chapter 18 (Freshwater) of Agenda 21 for the purpose of recommending measures needed to strengthen implementation.

4. Decide that AMCOW, in the fulfillment of its functions shall also:

(a) elect a Bureau whose membership shall include, a President and Vice-Presidents for annual or biennial terms giving due regard to equitable geographical distribution,

(b) designate an institution to be entrusted with the responsibility of facilitating the implementation of the decisions of the Conference. In this regard, we call on the Consortium of Partners (United Nations

Environment Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Secretariat of the United Nations System-wide Initiative on Africa, Food and Agricultural Organization, World Meteorological Organization, and other potential partners) to submit to the AMCOW Bureau, proposals for interim arrangements. We invite Africa’s co-operation partners, regional and global financial institutions, regional groupings and economic communities as well as donors to extend full support, to the Consortium;

(c) Develop detailed proposals on the rules of procedure applicable to AMCOW [drawing on the experiences of existing Ministerial Conferences for (i) Environment (ii) Finance and Economic Development and Planning (iii) Health (iv) Agriculture (v) Education etc.]. The participation of intergovernmental bodies, NGOs, Private sector representatives, UN Agencies, Regional and Global Financial Mechanisms should be addressed in the proposal etc.

5. Decide, that AMCOW shall meet at least once every year and that the first substantive session, will be held in 2003. In this regard, the Consortium of Partners shall consult with the UN Agencies and international institutions with activities in Africa, the African Development Bank and others in order to ascertain their interest in sponsoring or co-sponsoring the first session.

6. Decide to set up a Trust Fund to which African Governments, the Private Sector, African Development Bank, UN Agencies including the Britton Woods Institutions and others may wish to contribute on the basis of clear terms of reference to be drawn up by the interim Secretariat of AMCOW.


7. Also decide that AMCOW, at its first substantive session, in 2003 may:

(a) receive briefings on UN Agency regional water policies/strategies/programmes in Africa;

(b) review the implications (for AMCOW) of the outcome of the water-related outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD);

(c) hold a ministerial level dialogue session to which senior representatives of the African Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank (WB), major donor countries, NGOs and the private sector officials will be invited. The dialogue session will focus on (i) financing of the water sector in Africa (ii)mechanisms for funding water sector reforms (iii) transfer of technology (iv) capacity building;

(d) approve an African Regional Programme of Action on Freshwater.


8. Further decide to:

(a) Ensure concerted international support for the operation AMCOW as soon as possible in order to place water-related concerns at the centre of Africa’s political and developmental agenda;

(b) Support AMCOW’s regional programme of action on water to provide a framework for concrete actions in addressing key water-related concerns,

(c) Develop a regional water investment programme to promote financing for Africa’s water sector;

(d) Develop a regional implementation support programme to strengthen the on-going water-sector reforms in Africa, according particular attention to capacity-building, governance and technology transfer, research and development;

(e) Seek regional and international support for the establishment of a Regional Water Technology Collaborating Centre for Africa to address issues such as water augmentation technologies. In this connection, the Consortium of Partners is requested to submit specific proposals to the AMCOW bureau;

(f) Decide to organize, annually, special ministerial round-tables/dialogue sessions to focus attention on progress made or needed, in Africa, in four major areas, i.e., (i) governance (ii) financing (iii) capacity building and (iv) technology transfer - in the water sector in Africa.

(g) Launch a Special Regional Awards

Scheme, to recognize, on the basis of well defined criteria, the: (i) Major achievements/successes of African governments in promoting water sector reforms, particularly with regard to water governance, water policy reforms, percentage of national budgetary allocation to water and sanitation, legislative reforms to facilitate access to safe water, capacity building and technology transfer; (ii) major contributions of the private sector, NGOs, bilateral and multilateral agencies, financial institutions, intergovernmental bodies, UN agencies and individuals in expanding the access of the poor to safe an adequate drinking water. The Annual Awards Scheme, to be given an appropriate title, will be launched during the first session of AMCOW in 2003.

(h) Develop a regional strategy and plan for technical/Advisory services (upon requests by governments) with regard to policy, legal and other instruments for the efficient management of freshwater resources in Africa;

(i) Promote actions which will translate into reality the goals of the African Water Vision;

(j) Designate the existing African Water Task Force to play the role of a “Regional Water Watch” to be entrusted with the responsibility of providing scientific, information, expert advice and early warning on the changes in the water situation in Africa.

Key Deliverables and Benchmarks


B. New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (Freshwater-related components)

Recommends to the Heads of State and Government, coordinating the New Partnership for Africa’s Development to support AMCOW’s resolve to promote the goals of the water-related components of NEPAD.

C. Strategic Approaches

(i) Decide, that AMCOW, in discharging its functions, will count on the scientific and technical support of the African Water Task Force and similar regional bodies.

(ii) Decide, that AMCOW, in discharging its functions, will count and draw on the services and support being provided, in the water sector, by the UN. In this regard, AMCOW will fully count on the contributions and support of the UN/Inter-agency Working Group on Water in Africa (IGWA).

(iii) Request the Consortium of Partners and other relevant UN agencies, the African Development Bank, our region’s co-operation partners and donors, to support AMCOW’s efforts in the implementation of the measures outlined in this Declaration.

D. Upcoming Global EventsWorld Summit on Sustainable Development, South Africa, August 2002

(i) Decides to update, for the purposes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and taking into account the outcome of the Accra Conference, the launch of AMCOW as well as the fourth meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the WSSD, the Declaration of African Ministers of Water, which was submitted to the International Conference on Freshwater (Bonn, Germany,

December 2001). Third World Water Forum, Japan, March

2003(ii) Decides to actively participate in the Third

World Water Forum and to convene, at the same venue if possible, an extra-ordinary session of AMCOW to present Africa’s contribution to the Forum, relating to the global water agenda and its implications for Africa.

E. Special Event

Decide to convene, in 2003 or 2004 a special Conference on the “Financing of the Water Sector in Africa”.

F. Appreciation

Express appreciation of the commendable efforts of the Consortium of Partners, i.e., United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Secretariat of the United Nations System-wide Initiative on Africa (UNSIA), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Outcomes of the Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water

Towards further implementation of Agenda 21 and the fulfilment of the Johannesburg commitments: the way ahead for Africaa) The Pan African Implementation and

Partnership Conference on Water: Ministerial commitments

• Portfolio Of Water Initiatives: The conference endorsed a portfolio of key water initiatives in the five sub-regions of Africa. This is the first consolidated outline of priority initiatives shows the way of meeting the objectives of the New


Partnership for African Development.• Launching of Initiatives: The conference

forged new partnerships on water in Africa in the context of which a number of significant initiatives were launched (see below).

• Millennium Development Goals and WSSD targets: The Ministers reached consensus on the central importance of achieving new targets on water and sanitation. Special attention will be given to the countries considered most likely to miss the targets, and incorporate the targets as priorities in national development plans and budgets.

• Engagement with Civil Society: Ministers undertook to ensure that civil society in general, and gender concerns in particular, are taken into account, through consultation in policy formulation in all sectors of water, sanitation and human settlements.

• National Task Forces on Water and Sanitation: It was agreed to establish National Task Forces on Water and Sanitation in 2004 to prepare national plans for achieving the safe drinking water and sanitation targets.

• Ministers committed themselves to conduct negotiations with the development cooperation partners, Bretton Woods Institutions, and UN Agencies, on the portfolio of projects.

• They agreed to ensure that the Extraordinary Summit of the African Union endorses the commitments and recommendations of the conference outcomes.

• It was also agreed to use the commitments and recommendations of the conference for developing a common African position and approach before and after CSD-12, which will focus on water, sanitation and human settlements (see below).

• Sustaining the Momentum and Monitoring Progress: The Ministers underscored the need for sustained implementation efforts. Expanding the new partnerships forged during

the conference is given top priority. Progress will be monitored by AMCOW and reported to stakeholders over the coming year.

b) Priority goals: to meet identified water policy challenges, the Addis Ababa conference agreed a number of thematic objectives.

i) Meeting basic needs • Significantly improve the provision of

water supply and sanitation facilities in un-served human settlements.

• Support the Programme for Water and Sanitation for African Cities and the Rural Water and Sanitation Initiative, building capacities and an enabling environment for pro-poor investments.

• Increase information and communication for value based water education, hygiene education and sanitation in schools and communities.

ii) Water for food security • Increase agricultural productivity

and production through innovative technologies for sustainable and integrated agricultural water use.

• Adopt innovative approaches for increasing investments in agriculture.

iii) Protecting ecosystems and livelihoods • Invest in ecosystem health and

sustainable use of freshwater as integral to IWRM strategies for secure livelihoods and reliable supplies of clean water.

• Incorporate water quality standards and environmental water allocations in all existing and future international agreements on shared water resources.

iv) Managing risks • Increase funding for maintenance

and operation of hydrological and


meteorological networks. • Foster data and information exchange

to ensure improved early warning and forecast, especially in trans-boundary basins.

v) Financing water services • Allocate at least 5% of budgets for water

and sanitation; increase revenue collection, and ensure their Ministries cover their own costs of water services.

• Enlist support of donor countries for their commitments on increased funding for services benefiting local communities.

• Promote decentralisation aimed at leveraging local private capital, supporting local governments and responding to local needs.

• Review policy and regulatory frameworks prior to expansion of privatisation of water and sanitation services, including “polluter pays” policies.

vi) Integrated water management/shared water resources

• Adopt national IWRM plans or embark on this process by 2005

• Strengthen joint management of shared waters to build African development and integration.

• Promote effective and sustainable management of rivers, lakes and aquifers, including reliable and accessible data, participation by civil society, equitable sharing of benefits, and inter-basin water transfer and desalination.

vii) Valuing and allocating water • Develop comprehensive systems for

valuing and allocating water, based on economic, social and environmental values and giving priority to the poor.

• Adopt approaches for valuing and allocating water to strengthen cooperation at river basin level in water and energy, agriculture, health and for balanced economic development.

viii) Ensuring water wisdom • Accelerate technical support and

capacity building to strengthen our role in international water quantity and quality monitoring and risk assessment.

• Ensure that new ways of collecting, analysing and disseminating information, and policies, and sharing the knowledge are promoted.

ix) Governing water wisely • Ensure good governance through public

involvement and the interests of all stakeholders in the management of water resources.

x) Gender And Water Resources Management and Sanitation In Africa

• Ensure gender concerns are taken into account, through a recognised process of consultation with AMCOW, and in policy formulation on water, sanitation, human settlements, agriculture and food security by 2005.

c) Forging strategic partnerships: In the spirit of its focus on implementation and partnership, the Addis Ababa conference served as a launching pad for a number of important partnership initiatives among the institutions that have an important role to play in addressing the African water crisis.

i) Joint declaration by the Chair of AMCOW and Director General for Cooperation of the European Commission on the implementation of African-EU Strategic Partnership on Water Affairs and Sanitation.

ii) The African Water Facility with a targeted funding of over $600 million for medium term projects on water and sanitation. African Development Bank will manage the facility under the policy direction of the Ministers on the AMCOW Executive


Committee. iii) The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation

Initiative supported by the African Development Bank.

iv) The Water and Sanitation for African Cities (Phase II), with initial substantial funding from Canada. The Ministers appealed for expanded support from other development partners.

v) The G8 Action Plan on Water for Africa, which extends support to a number of river and lake basin management plans. The Ministers noted the EU’s continued support for Integrated Water Resources Management in Africa.

vi) The African Water Journal was launched to provide an outlet to consolidate and disseminate knowledge, enhance capacity of professionals and practitioners and facilitate the documentation and sharing of African experiences. Ministers called for financial support for sustaining and expanding the publication.

Sirte Declaration on the Challenges of Implementing Integrated and Sustainable Development on Agriculture and Water in Africa

The Heads of State and Government of the African Union, meeting in Sirte, Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, from 27 to 28 February 2004, agreed on the Sirte Declaration, which states, inter alia regarding water, the following.

“In view of the fact that water is the main factor for the most important economic sectors, the preservation of water resources, their proper distribution to the regions of the Continent to meet irrigation needs, human and industrial consumption and the best use of water to face drought and desertification dangers that threaten most of the African arable lands while large quantities of

water flow into the oceans and seas, we therefore, DECIDE to:1. Support the African Ministerial Council on

Water for its role in developing the plans and policies related to the management of water resources on the continent..

2. Reactivate the existing mechanisms at the level of the water basin and establish new ones wherever appropriate in order to:

• Develop and promote water resources through support of infrastructure projects that are the increase in the establishment of dams, laying down of canals and sinking of wells and providing irrigation equipment;

• Exploitation of waterfalls to provide electric power and link it to the Continent’s general network;

• Carry out studies on untapped water in areas where it is available in large quantities in order to benefit the continent in accordance with the principles of international law and the protocols concluded between the riparian States.”

Meeting of the Executive Committee of AMCOW Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 29-30 June 2005

Implications of Major Global Developments and Processes: Report of the Commission for Africa and the 2005 Summit of the Heads of State and Governments of G-8 Countries

(6a) The Commission for Africa has recently released its report, titled “Our Common Interest”. The report contains ten chapters which are:1. The case for action;2. Lost decades: Legacies and causes;3. Through African Eyes: Culture;4. Getting Systems Right: Capacity-building;5. The Need for Peace and Security;


6. Leaving no-one Out: Investing in People;7. Going for Growth and Poverty Reduction;8. More Trade and Fairer Trade;9. Where Will the Money Come From: Resources;

and 10. Making it Happen.

The report, in pars 65-72, accords special attention to the water policy challenges in Africa and to AMCOW. The report: • Acknowledges that 2005 is the Second UN

Water Decade and renewed commitment to both water supply and sanitation is required;

• Recommends that starting in 2005, donors must reverse the decline in aid for water supply and sanitation to enable African governments to achieve the Africa Water Vision commitment to reduce by 75% the proportion of people without access to safe water and sanitation;

• The G-8 should report back by 2007 on implementation of the GB Water Action Plan agreed in 2003;

• Financing for the water sector forms pad of the US$10 billion infrastructure funding proposed in Chapter 7. The forthcoming pledging conference in Paris in March 2005 provides an immediate opportunity where donors could demonstrate their commitment to the sector;

• Funds and capacity to deliver are currently being spread across a variety of different water initiative, which increases transaction costs; and

• The African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) is best placed to co-ordinate this and could formally report on progress to the Africa Partners Forum.

Following is an extract of the relevant sub-section of the report.

The report (in paragraphs 65-72) accords special attention to the water policy challenges in Africa and

to AMCOW’ leadership role in addressing them. Selected excerpts from the report are presented below.• Access to water is a right and a basic need. It is

consistently among the top three or four priorities of poor people in Africa, especially women and girls who shoulder primary responsibility for securing and managing domestic water.

• International commitments include the MDG to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015. Water and sanitation were also highlighted in the urgent call for slum upgrading at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002. African leaders have also developed the more ambitious Africa Water Vision, which seeks a 75 per cent reduction in the proportion of people lacking access to safe water and sanitation by 2015 and by 95 per cent by 2025. However, despite the emphasis put on water at the Kyoto Forum and the Evian G8 Summit, at current levels of commitment the MDG water target will not be met until 2050 nor the sanitation target by 2100, at the earliest.

• The water sector, which includes sanitation, has been neglected in the past, compared to other sectors. It has received weak or uneven treatment in PRSPs. Responsibility for water is often split between different government ministries, making it difficult to take a coherent, strategic approach to the sector. Aid to the sector has fallen by 25 per cent since 1996 and is poorly targeted. The costs of neglect, which are cumulative, are now better understood than in the past.

• A safe, convenient water supply and improved sanitation is a pre-requisite for improving the productivity and quality of life of poor people. Water is vital to achieving the other MDG, such


as poverty reduction, education and gender equality. For example, providing appropriate toilet facilities in schools is a pre-condition for the education of girls in some countries; carrying water long distances and waiting at water sources wastes energy and time, particularly of women and children, at the expense of family activities, education and productive work; and irrigation is and will increasingly be a pre-requisite to increasing food production to feed the growing African population.

• The health benefits of access to clean water and proper sanitation and attention to wastewater treatment are also clear. Unsafe water and poor sanitation cause intestinal worms, cholera, blindness from trachoma and diarrhoea. Without clean water, anti-retroviral treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS will be less effective. The WHO estimates the total annual economic benefit of meeting the water supply and sanitation MDG in Africa to be US$22 billion..

• Effective water resource management is essential if water supply and sanitation services are to be sustained in Africa. Extreme climate variability, coupled with growing water demand, deteriorating water quality and trans-boundary problems posed by most Africa’s river basins, present daunting challenges. At the same time in most African cities over 50 per cent of the supply is wasted or unaccounted for. A comprehensive, strategic approach to the water sector is therefore, required, based around integrated water resource management. This requires regional co-operation over trans-boundary water resources, improved water governance to manage competing needs, and increased and more effective management of investments in water infrastructure. These issues were all addressed in the G8 Water Action Plan agreed at Evian in 2003.

• River basin organisations in Africa require donor support. The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is a good example of co-operation in development of water resources in a river basin that is also catalysing wider regional integration. It aims to reduce poverty through the equitable use of the Nile’s water. Benefits include environmental conservation, flood prevention, increased food production, energy availability and reduced political tension. We call for more donor support to Africa’s river basin organisations. We recommend that donors fund the basin-wide capacity-building and the preparation of first round investment programmes in the Nile Basin Initiative. An initial US$60 million is required. Through this funding, economic integration is supported, with potentially important returns in terms of political stability.

• Starting in 2005, the start of the Second UN Water Decade, donors must reverse the decline in aid for water supply and sanitation to enable African governments to achieve the Africa Water Vision commitment. The G8 should report back, by 2007, on implementation of the G8 Water Action Plan agreed in 2003. Financing for the water sector forms part of the proposed US$10 billion funding for infrastructure. It is important to ensure that Governments and donors work together to harmonise future delivery, focusing on those countries most in need.

• Funds and capacity to deliver are currently being spread across a variety of different water initiative, which increases transaction costs. The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) is best placed to co-ordinate this and could formally report on progress to the Africa Partners Forum.

• To improve effectiveness at the country level, donors must take a sector-wide approach and strengthen overall sector co-ordination. This


should be done through budget support for one national strategy, with one co-ordinating body and one monitoring framework. African governments must ensure there is multi-stakeholder participation, drawing in representation from rural and urban sectors, poor people, women and men, different levels and departments of government, civil society and the private sector. They should also ensure that the water supply and sanitation strategy is fully integrated with broader human development and environmental policies at the country level with funding allocated to maximise results.

The report contains the following specific recommendations.

1. On governance and capacity building, the report recommends that the continent’s regional and pan-African organizations, including the African Union and its NEPAD programme need strengthening. There is a need to invest in capacity-building, increase accountability and transparency; fight corruption and strengthen information systems.

2. On peace and security, the report recommends the need for increased investment in conflict prevention in order to make the rapid acceleration in development that the African region requires.

3. On investing in people, the report recognizes the need for African governments to strengthen governance and ensure the participation of ordinary people and local communities in decisions on development. This recommendation makes reference to education; health; water and sanitation; HIV and AIDS as well as protecting the most

vulnerable.4. On growth and poverty reduction, the report

recommends increased investment to promote economic growth while ensuring that the poor participate in this process. Poverty in Africa will continue to rise unless there is greater economic growth and of a kind in which poor people can participate. Donor governments and international institutions, including the World Bank, UNEP and UNDP, should encourage the inclusion of environmental sustainability in African government’s poverty reduction strategies.

5. On trade, the report recommends increased trade as a tool for increased economic growth. African governments must drive this process and be allowed to develop their own trade policies. There is a need to support Africa-owned strategies for building the capacity to trade; dismantle the rich world’s trade barriers through the Doha round of world trade negotiations; and provide transitional support to help Africa adjust to new trading regimes.

6. On resources, the report recommends an increase in Aid to sub-Saharan Africa over the next three to five years. To increase the growth rate in Africa, and to make strong progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, the volume and quality of external aid to sub-Saharan Africa must change radically. Additional finance should be raised in various ways, including the immediate launch of the international Finance Facility.

7. On how to make this happen, the report recommends establishment of an independent monitoring system. It recommends that Africa must be given greater influence in decision-making. It must have a stronger voice in international forums.


For further details contact AMCOW Secretariat at [email protected] or AMCOW President’s office at [email protected]

AMCOW handbook - the African Ministers’ Council on Water

Documents

Transcript of AMCOW handbook - the African Ministers’ Council on Water