Held biennially, the CP Meeting serves as a general assembly for Partners—offering a critical forum to:
- Review implementation of the GWPSA Strategy and Work Programmes
- Assess governance and financial performance
- Discuss the organisation’s strategic direction
- Resolve institutional matters in line with the Constitution
Presiding over the session, H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, GWPSA-Africa Board Chair and Former President of Tanzania, expressed appreciation to all Partners for their continued support and commitment to regional water cooperation and transformation.
The objectives of the 2025 GWPSA Consulting Partners Meeting were to:
- Report on Programme Performance – Share key achievements, outcomes, and lessons learned from implementing the GWPSA-Africa Strategy (2020–2025) and the 2024 Annual Work Programme.
- Table Statutory Reports – Present the GWPSA Annual Reports and Audited Financial Statements for Partner review and discussion.
- Engage on the GWPO Transformation Agenda – Update Partners on GWP’s global transformation process and its implications for regional governance, operations, and GWPSA’s evolving role.
- Address Governance Matters – Consider and adopt proposed reforms to improve governance effectiveness.
Two resolutions were adopted during the CP meeting:
- Reform of the Regional Technical Committee (RTEC)
- Extension of the current GWPSA Board’s term of office
Delivering the Chair’s Report, H.E Kikwete, former President of Tanzania and GWPSA-Africa Board Chair, updated the Partners on the upcoming AU-AIP Water Investment Summit which will be held in Cape Town under the South African G20 Presidency.
H.E Kikwete reported that preparations had reached an advanced stage with the convening of a High-Level Consultation in March 2025, where he delivered the keynote.
“The message was clear—Africa must place water at the heart of its economic and climate transformation. I wish to thank the South African Government and the African Union Commission for their leadership and vision in shaping this Summit.”
H.E. Kikwete further discussed the climate crisis which he said has intensified, and that conflict and economic pressures have reshaped development priorities, with funding for water and climate action still constrained.
He however, commended the GWPSA community for ensuring that the organisation achieved real progress even amid the challenges.
“When floods devastate communities, when droughts cripple our agriculture, and when cyclones destroy infrastructure—it is water, or the lack of it, that lies at the heart of the crisis. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction notes a 29% increase in recorded droughts over the past 20 years and notes that most drought-related deaths since 2000 have occurred in Africa. Climate change is not coming. It is already here.
“Our response to these challenges need not be one of despair. It must be one of providing leadership. As water is the backbone of our development, we face a staggering annual investment gap—up to USD 64 billion according to the African Development Bank—to achieve the SDGs by 2030,” explained H.E Kikwete.
Delivering the Executive Secretary’s report during the meeting, Mr. Andrew Takawira, GWPSA Interim Executive Secretary, said the Meeting convened at a pivotal time for the Global Water Partnership Network, with major institutional transitions underway.
He reported on the relocation of the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) from Stockholm to the Global South and the appointment of GWPSA Executive Secretary and CEO to GWPO to steer a global transformation agenda.
“These changes have cascading implications for regional operations. As a regional anchor and implementing entity, GWPSA must recalibrate its institutional posture and delivery mechanisms to remain fit-for-purpose, resilient, and strategically aligned.”
