Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Prof. Hani Sewilam has taken over the presidency of the African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW), for the next two years.
The Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Land, Namibia, Carl Hermann Schlettwein handed over the Presidency of AMCOW to Sewilam during the 4th Extraordinary Session of the Executive Committee (EXCO) of AMCOW.
Every two years, the African Council of Ministers on Water rotates the presidency from one African Union country to another, according to the rules of procedure. According to the rules of procedure of AMCOW, Egypt’s term covers 2023 – 2025.
In his speech, Schlettwein and the Executive Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Land, Namibia, Mrs. Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, highlighted the council’s achievements, which include the adoption of the Windhoek Multistakeholder Resolution 2021 to accelerate Water Security and Access to Safely Managed Sanitation and Hygiene in Africa and the endorsement of the Dakar Declaration, “A Blue Deal for Water Security and Sanitation for Peace and Development,” is Africa’s contribution to the UN Water Conference 2023.
Another achievement was the revitalization of institutional and working relationships between AMCOW; African Union Commission (AUC); African Development Bank (AfDB); United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA); a successful election campaign to win back a seat on the Board of Governors of the World Water Council for the period 2023 – 2025, as well as the improvement of the fiduciary system in the Secretariat and the new recognition of AMCOW by the US Department of State as a General International Organization.
EXCO commends member states for increasing their commitment to AMCOW and calls for more. Namibia, therefore, handed over to Egypt, the approved AMCOW work program for 2023-2025.
In the message received, the Minister of Egypt is committed to revitalizing the water agenda in the continent and to raise the voice of AMCOW more on the global and continental platform.
Also, Sewilam is committed to increasing the mobilization of support for the implementation of AMCOW’s work program and calls on member countries and partners to continue supporting AMCOW to drive the African water agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and “the Africa we want.”
AMCOW was formed in 2002 mainly to promote cooperation, security, social and economic development and poverty eradication among member countries through effective management of water resources and provision of water supply services.