ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2ND AFRICA WATER WEEK IN SOUTH

AFRICA IN 2009

18 March 2009

WWF5

Istanbul

Host, Venue and Date

• South Africa will host the 7th ordinary session of AMCOW

• South Africa will officially take over chair of AMCOW at same event.

• It is proposed that the 2nd Africa Water Week be held at the same time so as not to duplicate travel arrangements and costs for AMCOW Ministers.

• Venue: Johannesburg• Date: November 2009

Purpose of the 2nd Africa Water Week

• From eThekwini, through Tunis, Sharm El Sheikh and Sirte Africa’s political leaders have identified the regional water and sanitation challenges and have made commitments to address them.

• Purpose and final theme to be discussed and finalised by the steering committee- in essence it will take Africa beyond WWF5 Istanbul

• Provide a platform for countries and regional bodies to report on and agree on specific actions in line with the commitments.

• Roadmap for further action

Proposed Themes

• Universal access to water supply and sanitation (meeting MDG’s and AU commitments)

• Managing global and continental changes.

• Financing

• Securing water for development

• Trans-boundary/shared water systems

• Water and food.

• Improved management and governance

• Skills, knowledge and capacity

• Africa assessment program

Program Management

• Steering committee: Host country, AMCOW secretariat, chairman of TAC, ANEW, ANBO, AfDB, UN-Water/Africa, AUC and REC such as SADC

• Local organizing committee including technical experts

• Media and communication

Draft Program

• AMCOW 7th session

• Main conference

• AfricaSan special event as report back from AfricaSan 2008

• Side events such as Expo, Youth and AfricaSan Awards.

• Technical tours and site visits

You are all invited to participate

In the 2nd Africa Water Week

Johannesburg, 2009