We surpassed our expectations in 2022 – AMCOW

The Executive Secretary of the Africa Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) Dr. Rashid Mbaziira has commended the impacts of the Council on the water community in Africa, saying it has been successful and impactful beyond expectations.

Mbaziira in a season’s greetings message on Sunday in Abuja, said despite emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 was challenging, but through cooperation and effective collaboration the Council has achieved much.

He said 2022 sets a springboard for better achievements in the coming years. 

“We have taken stock of the progress and challenges we experienced, and we have planned for 2023,” he said.

According to him, for the first time at the Forum, AMCOW and the African Development Bank jointly hosted an Africa Pavilion and facilitated continental engagement. 

“We mobilised new partners, signed six new Memoranda of Understanding, and triggered dialogue on the Team Europe Blue Initiative on Transboundary Water Resources Management.

“This year, AMCOW turned 20. The 9th World Water Forum provided an excellent opportunity to celebrate AMCOW’s 20th Anniversary.

“The engagement continued with a follow-up consultation led by the African Union Commission, AMCOW, AfDB, River and Lake Basins LBOs, and the European Commission – to come up with a strategic framework for the Initiative in Africa. Also, under the leadership of the AUC, AMCOW organised a third African Water Partners Coordination Platform (PCP) to assess progress and challenges in achieving continental goals on water.

“In April, AMCOW welcomed an AfDB-Africa Water Facility (AWF) delegation to strengthen collaboration for water governance and reporting on the 2008 Sharm El Sheikh commitments. By mid-year, AMCOW and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) convened a first Africa Sanitation Sector Partners Alignment Workshop. Partners determined areas of synergy in utilising the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines (ASPG) to strengthen Africa’s sanitation policy environment. Learning from this alignment workshop triggered the organisation of another sanitation advocacy partners roundtable in Nairobi by BMGF.

“From May to July, we had the training of Member States’ focal points for the Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring and Reporting. The activity helped us to strengthen and launch the 2022 WASSMO data collection exercise. Also, we organised its Sub-Regional Ministerial Consultations with its Technical Expert Committees and Technical Advisory Committees across all five regions of Western, Eastern, Central, Northern and Southern Africa.

“The consultations facilitated joint identification of continental priorities and collaboration among Member States, Regional Economic Communities and the River and Lake Basins. Member States also nominated countries to represent their regions in AMCOW’s Policy Organs for 2023-2025. 

“In August, we mobilised Member States to the Stockholm World Water Week 2022. AMCOW held the Africa Focus Day event and agreed on the Terms of Reference for operationalising the Development Partners Coordination Framework. Also, AMCOW launched a Knowledge Management Challenge to improve Africa’s water wisdom in line with the Africa Water Vision 2025,” he said.