Ivory Coast: High Level WASH Forum ends in Abidjan
By: WASH R&E “Media” Network-Liberia – The 2013 Ordinary Session of the Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA) Council of Ministers has ended in the Ivorian Capital, Abidjan with several recommendations approved by the Council of Ministers of the Water and Sanitation for all in Africa.
Council of Ministers new Chairman Dr. Basile ATANGANA KOUNA, Minister of Water and Energy of the Republic of Cameroon
Liberian Delegation from Right to left, Abdul Koroma-WASH Promotion Committee Chair, Kimmie Weeks-LWSC Board Chairman, Christian Herbert-Dep. Public Works Minister, Patrick Sawyer-Finance Ministry WASH Specialist, and Leroy Johnson-IWASH Deputy Chief of Party, along with a Ghanaian female delegate and outgoing WSA Chairman of Council Ministers
Delegates at the 3rd High Level Forum on water & Sanitation held in Abidjan
Council of Ministers of WSA in group photo at the 3rd High Level Forum
The Council of Ministers also elected Dr. Basile Atangana Kouna, Minister of Water and Energy of the Republic of Cameroon as the new Chairman of the Council to spear for a three-year period.
The 3-day High Level Forum from November 21-23, 2013 brought together Ministers of Finance, Water and Sanitation to discussed vital issues concerning Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) on the continent.
The Forum discussed innovation and effective mechanisms for South South Corporation, financial, technical institutional and knowledge sharing challenges in the WASH sector.
The three-day event was marked by the exchange of meetings between investors and project managers, and launch of the Africa Fund Development of water and sanitation.
It looked at operational funding mechanisms for water and sanitation through public-private partnership.
In his farewell address, the outgoing Chairman of the Council, Wassalké Boukhary, Minister of Water and Sanitation of the Republic of Niger reported to the 2013 Ordinary Session about remarkable achievements made during his three- year tenure as chairman.
Wassalké said Niger assumed the Chairmanship role at the time the Council agreed on institutional reforms and all of the decisions have been rigorously implemented.
He named the establishment of the WSA Foundation, the WSA Research and Competence Centre, and the WSA Enterprise and Investment Group, as well as the rapid expansion of country membership from 17 in 2010 to 32 in 2013 as some of the achievements made during his tenure.
As it relates to innovative financing, the Chairman said after two years of implementation of the Strategic Plan that has been broken down into Country Programme Agreements, the institution has been able to mobilize 60 Billion FCFA for the direct implementation of Projects and Programmes which has promoted a sustainable and equitable access to Water and Sanitation services among over 11 million Africans.
Mr. Boukhary further said WSA has been able to support member countries to mobilize additional 550 Billion FCFA for the implementation of various priority projects.
He disclosed that large Water Programme costing 258 million dollars is to take off very soon in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo and Guinea.
According to the outgoing Chairman of the Ministers Council, the programme when completed in the next four years, shall provide sustainable access to potable water for more than 3 million Africans.
In addition, he said very large Integrated Housing projects will soon begin after receiving all contractual approvals and these include a 10, 000 Housing project in Guinea, 10,000 housing units in Burkina Faso, 5000 in Senegal, and 500 in Ghana.
He said most of the successes are attributed to the signing of the Country Programme Agreements between member countries and WSA and that the result is evident in countries that have already signed.
For his part, the in-coming Chairman, Dr. Basile Atangana Kouna, said his main focus is to consolidate the achievements of his predecessors, specifically focusing and operationalzing the new organs and implementing more innovative projects and strengthening the capacities of the country offices among several others.
The admittance of the Union of Comoros as a WSA member country and the appointment of a 13 member Technical Advisory Committee, which replaces the Board of Trustees as agreed during the 2012 ordinary session, also took place during the 2013 Ordinary Session.
The Council of Ministers is the highest governing body of the Pan African Intergovernmental Water and Sanitation agency.
