By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
African Heads of State have committed to five new Presidential Compacts which will accelerate access to water and sanitation services, including increasing budget allocations, reducing open defecation, and delivering climate-resilient services.
The announcement took place at a meeting on the sidelines of the UN-Water Conference, which was held in New York.
The meeting of the African Heads of State was hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is also a co-host of the UN Water Conference.
Other conveners of the meeting were UNICEF, the UN-hosted Sanitation and Water for All Global Partnership (SWA), and the think tank IRC WASH.
In the presence of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, during the opening of the event, Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, expressed that she is committed to ‘‘following the lead of national governments, and through our partners UNICEF, SWA, and IRC WASH, we support resilient national water, sanitation, and hygiene systems capable of delivering safe and sustainable services to all.”
A release issued by the organisers after the high level meeting stated that some key commitments were made during the meeting.
These commitments, according to the release, were announced by President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President George Manneh Weah of Liberia, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, and President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe.
Ethiopia’s commitments: A Presidential Compact that will revise the loan policy and directives to accommodate loan access for water and sanitation for businesses and consumers.
It will also strengthen accountability among water and sanitation stakeholders (policymakers, service providers, and the community) and development partners by establishing a strong accountability framework that aligns with the ONEWASH National Programme.
Ghana’s commitments: A Presidential Compact to establish a National Sanitation Authority, reduce inequalities in water and sanitation services, particularly in poor and rural communities, and make Ghana’s cities some of the cleanest in Africa.
Liberia’s commitments: A Presidential Compact to increase access to basic sanitation by ending open defecation, as well as to create a unifying monitoring mechanism at all governance levels (national, county, district, and community) to improve institutional coordination.
Uganda’s commitments: A Presidential Compact to increase public financing for water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Zimbabwe’s commitments: A Presidential Compact to create a State of Emergency on Water and Sanitation which will trigger budget and coordination prioritization.
These commitments, according to the organisers, will be supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, UNICEF, SWA, and IRC WASH.
“We’re so pleased and encouraged to see these government leaders stepping up, committing, prioritising water and sanitation at the highest levels, and taking action and accountability for the human rights to water and sanitation.
The only way to make sustainable change is through political prioritization at the highest level that we see here today. SWA commits to mobilizing our more than 350 partners to support and learn from these Presidential Compacts. Our vision is that these announcements will inspire other countries around the world,” CEO of SWA Catarina de Albuquerque said.
On his part, Mr. Patrick Moriarty, CEO of IRC WASH, said: “As an organisation, we have long championed the transformation of national systems to deliver the human right to safe water and sanitation for everyone, everywhere, and forever.
Yet we also know that a truly transformative agenda for national systems strengthening can only follow visionary national leadership–from the highest political level.
What we have seen today in this room is an inspiring example of such visionary political leadership, and we commit to follow and support it in whatever ways we can.”
