H.E. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace Commissioner

AFRICAN UNION
UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
Statement by H.E. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace Commissioner, Department for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission 9th General Assembly of the African Ministers’ Council on Water
(AMCOW) during the 5th Africa Water Week
30th May 2014
Dakar, Senegal
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Honourable Sarah Reng Okchepe, Minister of Water
Resources of Nigeria and the AMCOW Interim President
Honourable Pape Diouf, Minister of Water Resources and
Sanitation of the Republic of Senegal
Honorable Ministers of Water
Representatives of AU Member States
Honorary President of the World Water Council
Executive Secretary of AMCOW
Representatives of African and International Organizations
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am honoured to attend this General Assembly of the African
Ministers' Council on Water taking place during the fifth African
Water Week that started a few days ago. I was also pleased to
attend some of the lively and productive sessions yesterday and to
also tour the exhibition showcasing best practices for efficient water
use and sanitation.
But before I get any further, let me transmit to you warm greetings
and best wishes from the Commission of the African Union under
the leadership of Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma,
Chairperson who values very much this sector.
It is a great pleasure to be in this beautiful city of Dakar and at this
juncture, I would like to register my appreciation and that of my
delegation to the Government and people of the Republic of
Senegal for graciously hosting this Week and Assembly, putting at
our disposal excellent facilities and according us legendary
hospitality.
It is also gratifying to see the high turn up of delegations of AU
Member States, both state and non-state actors, the private sector,
the scientific community, civil society, women, youth and the media
as well as all our distinguished partners in the pursuit of the goals
provided in the 2025 Africa Water Vision and the Sharm-el Sheikh
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Declaration. We are encouraged by the commitment and support of
all of you to this noble cause well knowing that water is life. It is,
indeed, befitting that the theme of the 5th Africa Water Week is
“Placing Water at the Heart of the Post 2015 Development
Agenda”. Water also forms a critical component of the Africa
Agenda 2063 on
“A Shared Strategic Framework for Inclusive
Growth and Sustainable Development”, a long-term vision and
roadmap for the transformation of Africa into a continent that is
integrated, peaceful, prosperous and people-centred. Also as we
mark 2014 the AU Year of Agriculture and Food Security, water
remains central and, indeed, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture
Development Programme (CAADP) which is also in its 10th
Anniversary this year, has Water as part of its Pillar I, which is
Sustainable Water and Land Management.
Honourable Ministers, we salute you for the continued leadership
on the continent in championing water and sanitation. We are also
proud of the AMCOW Secretariat for the technical back up with
support from our key partners many of whom are represented here.
The Report that I presented at the Session of the Assembly of
Heads of State and Government of the African Union in January
this year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Water and Sanitation,
showed the performance of each AU Member State, a result of the
efforts you have exerted and I congratulate you for that. We also
noted that more needed to be done especially in the area of
sanitation and as you may be aware, H.E Paul Kagame, Presidnet
of Rwanda was designated to champion this drive on the continent
on account of the considerable progress made by Rwanda in water
and sanitation.
As we pursue the cause of improving water, sanitation and hygiene,
sustainable water resources management,
waste-water
management and water quality, we find ourselves compelled to also
deal in tandem with disaster risk management and other related
hasards such as those generated by climate change that are
intensifying in frequency and impact. It is this cross-cutting nature of
water for development that makes it imperative for us to also build
synergies with other sectors ranging from agriculture to
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environment, energy to transport, among others. At this juncture, I
wish to commend Honourable Sarah Reng Okchepe, Minister of
Water Resources of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who in her
capacity as Interim President of AMCOW participated in the AU
Joint Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development,
Fisheries and Aquaculture at the beginning of this month in Addis
Ababa, where she
made valuable contributions during the
deliberations. This was especially so in the context of the decision
of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African
Union to establish 14 Ministerial Specialised Technical Committees
that place interrelated sectors together in which case now water will
fall under the STC on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and
Environment which also includes crop agriculture, livestock,
fisheries and aquaculture, food and nutrition security, forestry,
water, land, environment and climate change, meteorology and
climate services.
The STCs are scheduled to meet biennially (once every two years).
The Commission is now working on modalities for operationalizing
the STCs and the guidelines have been shared with AMCOW.
The inaugural meeting of the STC on Agriculture, Rural
Development, Water and Environment, of which Water is part, will
be convened soon and hence-forth replacing the Conference of
Ministers of the composite sectors mentioned above. At the
inaugural meeting, you could provide your views and guidance on
the mechanism. Our focus is to ensure that the institutional
arrangements for our Water Ministerial organ enables us to hold
our decision making meetings as effectively as possible.
The Commission of the African Union and specifically the
Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture which I head
remains committed to working closely with you Honourable
Ministers in furtherance of issues of water and sanitation across the
continent. We look forward to your continued support and guidance.
It is important that a key outcome of our deliberations here in Dakar
should be consensus on a single message to support a distinct
and broad water goal in the Sustainable Development Goals
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(SDGs) framework. Our individual voices, carrying the same
message, should also be heard at every available opportunity; and
utilized to implement a targeted advocacy campaign contributing to
the shoring up of the standing of water and sanitation in the
Common African Position on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
To this end we look forward to a key outcome of this General
Assembly to be the Dakar Declaration, a document which will
provide inspiration for addressing the major objectives on water and
sanitation for the post-2015 development agenda.
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
To conclude, I would like to note that a number of partnerships and
initiatives, with the appropriate financing instruments, should be in
place at both the continental and international levels.
I would also like to reaffirm African Union’s commitment not to limit
Africa’s common position on water for the Post-2015 Development
Agenda, but also to extend the process of eliciting commensurate
financial and technical support towards the implementation of the
agreed goals on water and sanitation.
I thank you for your kind attention.
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