Delivered on 8 November 2022, COP 27, Sharm el Sheikh
Download this statement in French.
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank you all for your participation in this meeting on the sidelines of COP 27 to launch the International High Level Panel on Water Investments in Africa.
In April 2016, Senegal accepted the invitation of the UN Secretary General and the President of the World Bank Group to join the 11 countries that made up the High-Level Panel on Water at the time. The objective was to provide the leadership needed to promote improved water and sanitation services.
The Panel’s final document, which was issued in March 2018, called for the launch of an African Water Investment Programme (AWIP) to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. This is also the goal of the Continental Water Investment Programme adopted by the African Union in 2021.
As a reminder, currently, 10 to 19 billion US dollars are invested each year in water in Africa, whereas 30 billion is needed to achieve SDG 6 by 2030. Consequently, there is a need to bridge this gap by intensifying advocacy and, above all, action, if we are to meet the 2030 target.
This is why on 25 March 2022, at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, I launched the International High Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, in my capacity as Chairperson of the African Union.
The panel’s goal is to mobilise US$30 billion per year by 2030 to implement the Continental Water Investment Programme in Africa.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the co-chairs of the Panel, President Hage Geingob of Namibia, Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, and our colleague Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa Coordination Unit.
Finally, I would like to welcome the 11 colleagues and personalities newly appointed by the organisers of the Panel, whose launch I now declare. I thank you all.
ANNEX
Newly appointed members of the International Water Panel:
1. H.E. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa.
2. His Majesty King Mohammed VI, King of Morocco.
3. H.E. President Félix Tshisekedi, Democratic Republic of Congo
4. H.E. William Samoei Arap Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya
5. H.E. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia
6. H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania
7. H.E. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia
8. H.E. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany
9. H.E. Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland
10. H.E. Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden
11. H.E. Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark
12. H.E. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
I also welcome the following Heads of international and multilateral organisations to the Panel:
1. David Malpass, President of the World Bank Group.
2. Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank.
3. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD
4. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission (EC)
5. Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP.
6. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF
7. Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA)
8. Samantha Power, USAID Administrator
9. Pablo Bereciartua, President of the Global Water Partnership Organization
10. H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union, who will ensure
the overall coordination of the Panel with the technical assistance of the Panel’s
Secretariat headed by:
11. Mr. Alex Simalabwi, Executive Secretary of the Global Water Partnership for
Africa and Head of the Panel Secretariat, under the authority of the Alternate Co-Chair
of the Panel, H.E. Jakaya Kikwete.