The content of the draft charter and its operationalization mechanism have been validated by stakeholders (different categories of actors in the water sector) on June 21, 2016. Almost all categories of stakeholders including the administration of water and sanitation, the control structures, the Communes, the private sector, civil society and development partners, the National Assembly represented by the President of African Parliamentarians network against Corruption, the Beninese Journalists network for Water and Sanitation (RJBEA), the sectoral ministries through the Inspectors General, and NGOs were represented.
The opening of the workshop was chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry for Water, Jean-Claude GBODOGBE in the presence of the Chairman of CWP Benin, Francophone Africa Coordinator of the WIN network and the Embassy of the Netherlands, leader of the Technical and Financial Partners of the water and sanitation sector in Benin.
In his workshop opening speech, the Secretary General noted that water and sanitation are priorities in the growth strategy document for poverty reduction. He reminded that the President of Benin has pledged to make access to water an inalienable right. Therefore, he welcomed the advent of the Charter, which comes just after "the crisis related to irregularities in the financial management of the second phase of support to the Multiannual Programme for Water and Sanitation sector ( PPEA2)”. Finally, he urged participants to examine in depth the Charter and its operationalization mechanism and reassured of the support and availability of departmental managers in charge of water to support the operationalization of the Charter.
Several recommendations were made at the end including:
- presenting the charter to the Water and Sanitation sector review and request the review to take a recommendation to ask the actors to join;
- carrying out a baseline study at the starting of the implementation of the charter;
- having the assistance of a specialist to clarify the charter formalizing procedures.