Organised by the African Union Commission in partnership with the Global Water Partnership Africa (ACU), UNDP Africa, GIZ and GEF IW: LEARN, the two-day consultation will convene Member States, Regional Economic Communities, basin organisations, civil society, women and youth leaders, researchers and the private sector. It is the second engagement under the five-year Africa Transboundary Dialogue and Basin Action (ATDBA) programme, which promotes practical, inclusive and climate-resilient solutions for Africa’s shared waters.

Building on the April 2025 Pan-African Dialogue, which called for stronger technical exchange and investment coordination, ATDBA provides a neutral, implementation-focused platform to strengthen governance, institutional capacity, gender-responsive approaches, data systems, and the preparation of bankable projects in shared basins and aquifers.

Aligned with the AU’s 2026 Theme, “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems,” under Agenda 2063, the consultation will provide technical input for the Africa Water Vision and Policy 2063 Implementation Plan.

Participants will review progress, identify priority basins and cooperation challenges, share best practices and develop recommendations to inform both the AU 2026 Theme Implementation Plan and Africa’s engagement at the UN 2026 Water Conference.