UNSGAB Water and Sanitation

Adopting a recommendation made by the United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB), the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) has decided that the main theme of next AU summit in July 2008 will be "Water and Sanitation".

Concerned by the ongoing, endemic water and sanitation crisis in Africa, UNSGAB had organized, in line with the Hashimoto Action Plan (HAP) an African Dialogue on Water and Sanitation in Tunis in December 2006. It was in this meeting that it was agreed to prepare for an African Union Summit on Water and Sanitation in 2008. All participants recognized the acute need for a stronger and more operational political commitment in Africa.

Ever since, the Chair of UNSGAB, HRH Prince of Orange and the members of the board together with African partners have strived very hard to advance the agenda on Water and Sanitation in Africa at the highest level aiming at achieving the MDG's by the year 2015. This has now led to the decision that next AU Summit will be on Water and Sanitation. The summit will be held in July 2008 and shall be hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Photo: Meeting with Mr. Konore, Chairperson of the African Union Commission

The Executive Council of the AU has requested the Chair of UNSGAB to liaise with the chair of the AU commission and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt to lead the preparation of this AU Water and Sanitation Summit.

UNSGAB sincerely hopes to work closely with the African partners in developing a realistic action programme which can be endorsed at the African Union Summit on Water and Sanitation. The action programme should convince governments to set national water and sanitation policies and targets. It will also include sustainable cost-recovery mechanisms and promote improvement of access to finance by local authorities.

Decision on the Proposal to Make Water and Sanitation the Theme of the July 2008 SUMMIT
(Excerpt from Executive Council's DECISIONS AND DECLARATIONS of the 10th African Union Summit)

Next African Union Summit will be on Water and Sanitation