Global Water Partnership West Africa meets to find solutions to ineffectiveness in sub-region
The Global Water Partnership (GWP), West Africa (WA), will hold its statutory General Assembly in the Burkina Faso capital of Ouagadougou on Friday, June 22, a press release from its Secretariat has announced.
The main theme of the Meeting of Partners of GWP/WA, will focus on the role of Country Water Partnerships (CWPs) in the management of water resources at national level and consider how best to strengthen the CWPs to better fulfill their role in the country, says the secretariat.
In addition to the statutory issues to review and validate, the meeting is also billed to focus specifically on the contribution of CWP to the promotion of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in particular, in the development process and implementation of National IWRM Action Plans in the country Burkina Faso, challenges and lessons learned from the operation of CWP, and to give directions.
According to organisers of the general assembly, the meeting has also been informed by the inactivity and ineffectiveness of some of the sub-region’s 13 Country Water Partnerships (CWP).
“These CWPs have been established with the agreement and the contribution of states. In some countries these partnerships are active and contribute significantly to capital gain. But this is not the same everywhere. A situation that is jeopardising the effectiveness of the GWP action in the region and to which solutions must be sought,” the communication from the organisers read.
According to the organisers, work of the GWP/WA Assembly of Partners will focus on the relevant actions in which CWPs are involved in several countries on IWRM, which will inform partners, and facilitate an exchange of ideas on the challenges and problems and lessons emanating from IWRM actions by the CWPs.
Before the General Meeting of partners takes off however, some preparatory meetings have been planned, including the meeting of the Finance and Budget Committee set up by the Steering Committee from among its members, a meeting of the Ad ‘Hoc committee established for the review of texts scheduled for Wednesday, June 20, 2012, and the meeting of the GWP/WA Steering Committee on Thursday, June 21, 2012.
Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP/WA) is made up of member organisations of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) at the regional level and in different countries of West Africa, and is a network of institutions which aims to catalyse public action in the field of water and related sectors for better impact.
The partnership was created in 1996, and worked on the development of regional water partnerships that are 13 in number today around the world. After three (3) years of activity in the region, GWP/West Africa was established in 2002 as a network of partners in West Africa.
By Edmund Smith-Asante