First Consultation Workshop in Tunis, 1 October 2013

With the aim to identify important gaps and obstacles on the governance and financing of the Tunisian water sector, the first national multi-stakeholder policy workshop took place in Tunis on 1st of October 2013. The work forms part of the Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector Project that was officially launched in May 2013 (28-29 May, Barcelona) and is jointly implemented by OECD and GWP-Med.

The Tunis consultation workshop, formed the first step of a constructive national dialogue on water governance and financing and brought together sixty (60) participants representing different stakeholders, including national authorities; policy and decision makers; users; international organisations and donors; research institutes and Universities. The dialogue was informed by a Scoping Note that provided diagnostic analysis of the key governance and financing bottlenecks to private sector participation in Tunisia’s water sector.

During the policy dialogue, interventions and comments highlighted the need to address the declining performance of the water sector, and to reflect strategically on the potential opportunities and roles of private sector participation in the specific context of Tunisia. Discussions revolved mainly around: the policy, institutional and legislative framework for private sector involvement in the water sector; the regulation of water and sanitation services; the budgetary process and tools for planning and financing water projects with the private sector; and the engagement of end-users and other stakeholders.

Next steps in the work involve the development of specific and concrete recommendations, discussion of the relevant international experience and a second consultation workshop to be held in early 2014.

About the project:

Designed and jointly implemented by the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector Project was labelled under the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) framework in July 2012. Essential for launching its implementation has been the strategic partnership with the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The steady support, already since 2009, of the GEF/ MAP UNEP MedPartnership programme and the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI) has been instrumental for concretising the project’s line of work. The project aspires to address and promote action on the governance-finance nexus in the water sector with emphasis on the understanding the potential role of the private sector. It involves work at national and regional level over three years (mid 2013-mid 2016). Thus far, the work involves seven Mediterranean countries, namely Albania, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia with additional countries to be engaged during the project’s life. Activities during the first year of implementation concern full policy dialogues in Jordan and Tunisia and preliminary work in Morocco.

Please find below all relevant documents:

Agenda (FR)

Participants list

Presentations: