Cooperation with the African ministers' council on water

New impetus has been given to GWP’s relationship with the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) in light of the African Union summit held in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt), in June 2008.

During this summit, delegates agreed to make the GWP-AMCOW Memorandum of Understanding more practical, by working jointly at the sub-regional level in areas such as financing, training, gender, and IWRM surveys.

One priority is a joint meeting in 2009 between African Ministers of Finance and their counterparts in ministries responsible for water. In 2008, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and AMCOW agreed to discuss Africa’s input into the 5th World Water Forum at the GWP West Africa General Assembly in Abidjan in January 2009. AMCOW and other pan-African processes fully involve the GWP Africa and Mediterranean regions.

The three main areas selected as the focus for GWP-AMCOW cooperation were adapting to climate change and mitigating its impact; ensuring funding for proper infrastructure; and improving water governance.