His Excellency President Jakaya Kikwete, Former President of Tanzania and GWPSA-Africa Chair, addressed the virtual Water Dialogues for Results High Level Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG ) 6 on 1 July 2021.
“I appeal upon national governments, leaders of multilateral organisations, and others to partner with Africa to establish an International High-Level Panel on Water for Africa to accelerate progress towards SDG 6 of clean water and sanitation for all,” said H.E. President Kikwete.
“African governments are doing their best to prioritise water investments, but resources are limited. Current investment levels are not enough to cover the needs of the continent,” added H.E. President Kikwete.
“Water and sanitation sector investment in Africa stands at between US$10bn-19bn.The African Development Bank estimates that US$ 64 billion should be invested annually to meet the 2025 Africa water vision of water security for all. As a result of this massive investment gap, Africa’s basic socio-economic needs are not met.”
“The Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) has been adopted by the African Union as a transformative programme designed to respond to the shortfall in delivering water investments on the continent,” said H.E. President Kikwete.
Watch His Excellency President Jakaya Kikwete, previous President of Tanzania and GWPSA-ACU Chair deliver his address during the Water Dialogues for Results High-Level Ministerial Conference below.
“International High-Level Panel on Water for Africa will support and champion the AIP,” he said.
The International High-Level Panel on Water for Africa would sustain political commitment through the AIP Water Investment Scorecard, which is currently under development. H.E. President Kikwete said that the AIP Scorecard would be a “game-changer” as it will enhance mutual accountability and commitment by tracking progress in the provision of water for basic needs and for economic growth in Africa.
The Water Dialogues for Results are an initiative by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), on behalf of the entire German government.
“The High-Level Conference on SDG 6 forms part of the official preparatory process for the Mid-term Review of the UN Water Action Decade in 2023,” said H.E. Ms Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany.
“We need a coordinated global approach to overcome the vast challenge of ensuring reliable water supply to all countries,” added H.E. Ms Schulze.
Water ministers and leaders of global multilateral organisations used the High-Level Conference on SDG 6 as a platform to discuss opportunities to accelerate global response to meeting SDG 6, within the UN Water global SDG Accelerator framework, which is based around five action areas:
- Financing
- Data
- Capacity Development
- Governance, and
- Innovation
The Water Dialogues for Results High Level Ministerial Conference on SDG 6, was preceded by a Regional Dialogue for Africa held on 26 May, where the International High-Level Panel on Water for Africa was identified as a priority for the continent, along with the need to implement the AIP.
“AIP offers new hope for Africa. It offers development agencies and banks, as well as the private sector, an opportunity to invest in climate-resilient, gender-sensitive water and sanitation investments that contribute to achieving SDG 6 in Africa,” said H.E. President Kikwete.
The Regional Dialogue was convened by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), and the Governments of Germany, South Africa and Senegal, and supported by GWP in Africa.