The Cooperation Framework Agreement aims specifically to:
- Create the conditions of a joint, balanced and sustainable management of water resources;
- Create the conditions for an inclusive dialogue around the water and environment issues in the Transboundary sub-basin of the Mekrou at all levels of management;
- Create the conditions of an economic growth that is socially adapted and respectful to the environment at all levels of management;
- Promote a short, mid and long term planning process;
- Undertake concrete development actions for the improvement of the living conditions of local communities;
- Take into account climate change in water resources management;
- Take into account specific concerns related to gender, health, governance, transparency, human rights and prevention of conflicts.
This Cooperation Framework Agreement applies to all initiatives undertaken by all the stakeholders in the Transboundary sub-basin of the Mekrou in the management of shared water resources and the environment.
Aly TRAORE, Secretary General of the Burkina Ministry of Water
The agreement is based on the fundamental principles of good environmental governance, complementarity, cooperation, equity, catchment basin management, Gender, information and participation, partnership, prevention, drawer-pays and polluter-pays, costs and benefits sharing, precautionary, accountability, responsibility, solidarity, subsidiarity and transparency.
It clearly states that “States shall prefer cooperation, consultation and negotiation for all issues of common interests for the sustainable management of the Transboundary sub-basin of the Mekrou”.
The agreement identifies the stakeholders to be the regional integration or cooperation organizations, the Niger Basin Authority, The States, Local authorities, Basin or sub-basin water management structures within each state, Water users, the private sector, Civil society and community based-organizations, Technical and financial partners.
Mr. Atahirou KARBO, Secretary General of the Niger ministry of Water
For the use of resources and protection of environment, article 17 states that “the states in consultation with the other stakeholders shall develop and implement a water resources management strategy for green growth in the context of the green economy in the Transboundary sub-basin of the Mekrou”.
The states agree to “cooperate closely for the prevention, control and reduction of pollution in the Transboundary sub-Basin of the Mekrou”. And to do so “They shall in particular take the necessary steps to inform as soon as possible, the other sub-basin States of possible accidental pollution and/or any changes in the physico-chemical or biological characteristics of the Transboundary sub-basin of the Mekrou, or surface or groundwater of its catchment basin located in their national territory, which have already occurred, are occurring or may occur, as a result of natural or human induced-phenomena”.
The Framework Agreement calls on states to adopt a Development and Water Management Master Plan (SDAGE) as well as an investment plan of the Mekrou Transboundary sub-basin.
States agree to build the capacity of stakeholders and support civil society organizations.
The Cooperation Framework Agreement, as envisioned, is political in nature, meant for promoting political dialogue for the sustainable management of natural resources of the Mékrou Transboundary sub-basin. In this respect, it is similar in nature to the Paris Declaration or the Shared Vision, which are also political documents but applicable to the entire Niger Basin. The Agreement has no normative character; the normative framework is already essentially made of the revised Convention on the creation of the NBA of 1987 and the Niger Basin Water Charter.
The Framework Agreement establishes the cooperation bodies for the sustainable management of the Transboundary sub-Basin of the Mékrou. The choice of these bodies and their methods of operation are driven by the concern of maintaining synergy with the NBA, but also to rationalize their operation. This is to take advantage of existing bodies of the NBA to limit the costs of their operation and thus, ensure their institutional and financial sustainability.
