The African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) has advocated for the independent position of Water and Sanitation in the post MDG agenda in 2015.
The interim President of AMCOW, who is also Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe made this declaration in Dakar, Senegal while speaking at the 5th African Water Week organized by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) in conjunction with African Union and other stakeholders.
AMCOW is a forum of African Ministers responsible for water; acting in the spirit of the African Union, its primary objective is to keep under constant review Water Resources Management, Policies, Strategies and Action to address challenges facing the continent in the area of water and sanitation.
Delivering her welcome address, the AMCOW President and Nigeria Minister of water Resources, said that the centrality of water in the socio economic development was no longer debatable, because of its link to the resolution of the global challenges such as poverty reduction, sanitation and healthy human living as well as increase productivity.
She said, “The theme of the 5th African Water Week is placing Water at the Heart of the post 2015 Development Agenda, the theme could not have come at a more auspicious time than now as we march spiritedly to 2015 and begin to take stock of how far we performed with the Millennium Development Goals and what needs to be done to engender sustainable development after 2015”.
She added, “The conference comes at a very critical turning point and provides a platform for Africa and our friends at global level to a gain focus on addressing challenges faced in the water resources managements”.In his welcome remarks, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senegal, Pape Diouf said that effective and efficient management of water resources and sectorial matters remain crucial to collective efforts to grow the economy and tackle environmental and climate change impact. He explained that water was imperative in boosting agriculture and food production, enhancing energy production, and efficiency in water transport.
His word “as we take stock of our success and lapses in the implementation of MDG targets for water and sanitation, it is imperative that we capture the essence that water lies at the heart of everything that is important for human life; food, sanitation, energy, transport and environment among others, that is critical and essential to drive social well-being and economic growth.
Also speaking, on behalf of African Union Commission, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture Mrs. Rhoda Tumusiime, represented by Muhammed Timamy, said that AMCOW sought to promote cooperation, security, social and economic development and poverty eradication among Member States through the management of water resource and provision of water supply service.
She noted that under the auspices of AMCOW, a consultative process to stimulate debate on positioning water in post 2015 development framework was initiated, calling for distinct global water goal “Ensuring a Water Secure for all”, Africa’s political commitment to this cause was demonstrated by subsequent decision of AMCOW executive Committee in Cairo in 2013 endorsing the goal and setting targets for water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), Water Resource Management, (WRM) and wastewater management and water quality (WWM&WQ).
Speaking at the event, Secretary General AMCOW, Mr Bai- Mass Taal said that MDGs was ending in 2015, African want input in post MDG which is to include; Water Secure for all.
“We don’t want the global agenda to be defined without African input, from this Africa Water Week, we should have a perspective that we would send to New York as what Africa want in water sector”, he said
