The Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water

December 8-13, 2003

Under the aegis of the African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW) and the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), the UN system, organised as UN-Water/Africa and in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and African Water Task Force (AWTF), the Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water will be convened in Addis Ababa from 8 to 13 December 2003. The Government of Ethiopia and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will jointly host the Conference. The Pan-African Conference represents a political commitment at the highest level among African Governments to move forward in solving the continent's impending water crisis.

African Governments, along with representatives of the international community, the scientific community, civil society and the private sector will, therefore, meet in Addis Ababa to agree on how to turn commitments into action.

Aims and objectives of the Conference

The Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference will address the implication of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development on regional water initiatives, as well as the continent's role in the implementation of the Summit's outcomes. Most importantly, the conference will provide a platform for African countries, the international community and United Nations agencies to reaffirm their commitment to solving Africa's water crisis. The aim of the Pan-African conference is to determine how to collectively implement the actions envisaged in the African Water Vision 2025, the NEPAD water agenda, the World Summit's targets and the Millennium Development Goals on water. The objective is to focus attention on the implementation requirements, in Africa, of the many regional and international targets in the water sector. The Pan-African Conference will seek to secure inter and intra-African commitments to the implementation of targets and build international solidarity in the form of concrete partnerships.

The conference will be based on the fundamental principles and values set out in the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the challenges identified under the African Water Vision 2025 with particular focus, from the African viewpoint, on the water related commitments and targets, which are:

(a) To halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation;

(b) To develop integrated water resource management and water efficiency plans by 2005, with support to developing countries, through actions at all levels.

Key initiatives to be launched in Addis Ababa

The key initiatives to be launched include the following:

(b) Bi-Annual African Water Development Report (AWDR) and African Water Information Clearing House (AWICH);

(c) An action plan for implementing the water-related outcomes of the Summit of the Group of Eight held in Evian, France, which recognized the importance of strengthening proper water management in Africa;

(d) Agreement on implementation modalities for the European Union Water Initiative for Africa;

(e) Development of national and sub regional plans and initiatives to facilitate the achievement of the targets on water in the Millennium Development Goals and World Summit outcomes;

(f) Portfolio of water projects prepared by the Secretariat of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), in close collaboration with AMCOW and with the support of AMCEN, as the core of a plan of action for achieving the NEPAD water agenda, the Millennium Development Goals and the World Summit targets on water and sanitation in Africa within the context of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Pre-conference Activities

The week of the conference will be designated "African Water Week" by AMCOW member countries and their Governments. Water-related activities will be promoted across the continent to coincide with and raise awareness about water issues in general and the conference in particular.

In Addis Ababa, during the period preceding the conference, a number of activities will be held, including the following:

(a) Workshop by AfDB on rural water supply and sanitation;

(b) Workshop on gender and water issues in Africa;

(c) Civil society meeting on water in Africa;

(d) Marketplace for water-related services and programmes;

(e) Pan African Committee for START;

(f) Other events to be announced.

Conference Format

The conference will be organized at three levels. The first level will comprise three parallel two-day segments: stakeholders segment; a scientific and technological segment and a programme segment. These will be followed at the second level by a one-day harmonizing segment that will feed into a Ministerial and Partnership segment at the third level. The layout of these segments is given below:

1. The stakeholders segment

The stakeholders segment will concentrate on the follow-up to the Accra Water Conference of 15-17 April 2002, during which African stakeholders agreed to a number of positions on the way forward for the water sector in Africa. Deliberations will be on the extent of implementation of the Accra outcomes. In particular, the current status of the challenges identified during the conference will be discussed and a way forward charted.

2. The scientific and technical segment

This segment will concentrate on focused water research activities in Africa, and explore the constraints that the scientific and academic communities face in playing their vital role in meeting the Millennium Development Goal targets. It will also chart a way forward on how these constraints can be overcome.

3. The programme segment

This segment will comprise deliberations on a concrete "portfolio of actions" that will have been prepared by all countries as input to the conference, as well as subregional and regional action plans. This segment will aim at a consensus on appropriate action programmes, their cost and implementation strategies, as well as a plan for submission to the Ministerial & Partners session for endorsement and funding commitments after the harmonization segment.

4. Harmonizing segment

This segment will deliberate on the outcomes of the three parallel segments and seek to harmonize them in a common framework for submission to the Ministerial & Partners segment for endorsement and funding commitments.

5. The Ministerial & Partners segment

The ministerial segment will be organized under the auspices of AMCOW. It will receive submissions from the Harmonizing segment and offer political direction for ensuring effective implementation of the endorsed action programme. It will provide a forum for discussion, negotiation and funding between the African Ministers and the Development partners.

Who Should Attend?

The Conference will provide a framework in which Governments, UN agencies, Donors, inter-governmental bodies, the private sector and other major stakeholder groups, can fully participate in a committed and results focused manner.

Conference Partners

1. African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW)

2. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

3. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

4. World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

5. United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

6. African Development Bank (AfDB).

7. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

8. World Health Organization (WHO)

9. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

10. United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT)

11. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

12. African Water Task Force (AWTF)

13. Sub-regional Inter-Ministerial Units for Water Resources (e.g. SADC-WSU, SISCOA, IGAD, etc)

14. African Water Research Institutes

Conference Committees

The proposed committees are to be organized in subcommittees related to different Segments and Tasks with the exception of the Plenipotentiary which will lend its prestige and names to the Conference. Each sub-committee will be led by a member of UN Water-Africa.

Plenipotentiary Committee

The members of the plenipotentiary, by virtue of their prestigious standing in society, shall lend visibility and communicate the rallying message of the conference. The members are:

2. His Excellency, Shehu Shagari, Chairman of AMCOW-Co-chairman.

3. His Excellency, Shiferaw Jarso, Minister of Water, Ethiopia (Host of MCOW).

4. Prof. Wiseman Nkuhlu, Chairperson, NEPAD Steering Committee & Economic Advisor to President Thabo Mbeki.

5. HRH. Willem Alexander, Crown Prince of the Netherlands.

6. Dr. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP.

7. Prof. G.O.P. Obasi, Secretary-General, World Meterological Organization.

8. Dr. Abdoulai Janneh, Assistant Administrator & Director, UNDP Africa.

9. Dr. Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General, UNESCO.

10. Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, UNICEF

11. Dr. Jacques Diouf, FAO Director-General.

12. Dr. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN-HABITAT.

Steering Committee

The steering Committee will give overall guidance to the preparatory activities towards and during the conference itself. The membership would be broken down into sub-committees to oversee the segments of the conference viz, the Stakeholders segment, the programmatic segment and the scientific and technical segment as well as the Ministerial segment. The members are:

1. Mr. Halifa Drammeh (Chair).

2. Mr. M.A.K. Abubakar, AMCOW Secretariat (Co-Chair).

3. Mr. A. Diphoorn, NEDA.

4. Prof. Albert Wright, AWTF.

5. Dr. Daniel Adom, AWF.

6. Ms. Zemenay Lakew, UNDP.

7. Dr. Emannuel Naah, UNESCO.

8. Dr. Andre Dzikus, UN-HABITAT, Focal Person.

9. Dr. David Grey, World Bank.

10. Dr. Meraji Msuya, NBI, Executive Secretary.

11. Dr. M. TawÞ k, WMO.

12. Dr. Sekou Toure, UNEP.

13. Dr. Doug Merrey, IWMI.

14. Reps from Water Sector Units of the five subregional groupings.

15. Dr. Tefera Woudeneh, AfDB.

16. Dr. William Cosgrove, Deputy President World Water Council.

17. Eng. Mohammed Adamu, Executive Secretary, Lake Chad Basin Commission.

18. Mr. Moise Sonou, FAO

19. Ms. Vanessa Tobin, UNICEF

19. Dr. Stephen Donkor, UNECA

Scientific/Technical Committee

1. Prof. G.O.P Obasi, WMO- Chairman and Editor-in-Chief (African Water Journal), Chairman for both Scientific & Technical Committee.

Scientific Committee

2. Prof. Abel Afouda, Benin.

3. Dr. Tewolde. B. Gebre Zebier, Ethiopia.

4. Dr. Evans Mwangi, Kenya.

5. Dr. Kwadwo Tutu, ECA.

6. Dr. Salif Diop, UNEP.

7. Dr. Emmanuel Naah, UNESCO.

8. Dr. Ralph Daley, UNU/INWEH.

9. Prof. Terence Podmore, CSU.

10. Prof. A. Kane.

11. Dr. Barbara Van Koppen, IWMI, Africa.

12. Dr. Francois Guergin, Water Action Unit.

13. Dr Josef Aschbacher, European Space Agency.

14. Dr Kodwo Andah, WARREDOC, University of Perugia, Italy.

Technical Committee

2. Dr. Kwabena Sarpong Manu, Ghana.

3. Dr. Athanase Compaore, Burkina Faso

4. Mr. Moise Sonou, FAO

5. Dr. Andre Dzikus, UN-HABITAT.

6. Mr. Meraji Msuya, NBI.

7. Ms. Tabeth Chiuta, IUCN.

8. Dr. Doug Merrey, IWMI.

9. Dr. Ousmane Dione, World Bank.

10. Dr. Robert Bos, WHO.

11. Prof. Eric Odada.

12. Dr. Peter Acquah, UNEP.

13. Mr. Mansoor Ali

Resource Mobilization Committee

1. Dr. Stephen Donkor, UNECA.

2. Mr. Bert Diphoorn, NEDA.

3. Mr. David Grey, World Bank.

4. Ms. Zemenay Lakew, UNDP.

5. Dr. Doug Merrey, IWMI.

6. Mr. Manuel Dengo, UNDESA.

7. Dr. Shehu Yahaya, AFDB.

8. Dr. Halifa Drammeh UNEP.

9. Dr. Emmanuel Naah, UNESCO.

10. Dr. Mohammed Tawfik, WMO.

11. Mr.Reatile Mochebelele, NEPAD Secretariat, Water and Sanitation Advisor.

12. Ms. Cecilie Vink, Netherlands Ministry of Development Cooperation.

13. Mr. Nicholas Drouin, Representative of CIDA.

14. Ms.Vannessa Lemaire-Drinkwater, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

15. Jean-Marie Barrat, French Development Cooperation.

16. Dr. Ralph Daley UNU/INWEH.

17. Mr. Kalyan Ray UN-HABITAT.

18. Dr. Piers Cross, WSP/Africa, World Bank.

19. Dr. Feng Min Kan, UN/ISDR-Africa.

Conference Secretariat

1. Dr. Stephen Donkor, ECA (Chair)

2. Mr. A. Abubakar, AMCOW, Co-Chairman

3. Dr. Strike Mkandla, UNEP, Chairman, Exhibition Committee.

4. Ms. Zemenay Lakew, UN Liaison with NEPAD

5. Dr. Foday Bojang , AU Commission

6. Mr. Mohammed Abdulwahab

7. Mr. Yitbarek Mengiste

8. Ms.Tehetena Alemu (Announcements, Exhibition and Information Clearing House), ECA

9. Mr. Hans Spruijt, UNICEF, Ethiopia

10. Mr. Girma Hailu, UNDP-Ethiopia

11. Dr. Feng Min Kan, UN/ISDR-Africa

12. Mr.Yinka Adeyemi, (Communication Officer, Focal Point of the Water Communication Team, UN-Water/Africa), ECA.