MINISTRY OF WATER AND IRRIGATION Presentation on the Second Africa Water Week by Eng. David Stower CBS,OGW Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

OUTLINE Government of Kenya’s response to the AMCOW invitation to host the second Africa Water Week Preparatory Process: strategic considerations High Level Segment Ensuring proper timing for the preparatory process Mobilizing total national commitment Launching of the 2nd African Water Week Concluding remarks

Government of Kenya’s response to the AMCOW invitation to host the second Africa Water Week The Government of Kenya was quite pleased to be requested by our African Ministers’ Council on Water to host the second African Water Week . In May, 2007, at its 6th Ordinary Session in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, (AMCOW) decided to institute an annual African Water Week, as a means of building momentum across the continent to accelerate progress towards achieving the MDGs on water and sanitation . For Africa, and particularly for us in Kenya, we see the Sharm el-Sheik Declaration, the e-EThekwini Declaration adopted in February 2008, the Tunis Ministerial Declaration, adopted in March this year by African Ministers of Water and Sanitation, and the decision to organize the second Africa Water Week, as representing the vehicles for Africa’s movement towards an acceptable realization of the water and sanitation related MDGs and their targets

Preparatory Process: strategic considerations The second Africa Water Week must therefore be of a very special character. It should provide us with compelling reasons for each and every one of our countries to convene, between now and the end of 2009, national water summits in order to undertake a very comprehensive stock-taking of progress made and needed in pursuit of the water and sanitation goals and targets. The purpose for this is for all our countries to present to the Ministerial segment of the second Africa Water Week their MDG national reports. The second Water Week also provides a suitable framework for the involvement of all stakeholders in taking stock of how the MDGs have affected their lives and livelihoods, and what additional commitments are needed to achieve the stated targets by 2015. The second Water Week also gives us a unique opportunity to look forward to and commit ourselves to needed actions over the remaining five years of the MDG targets.

Preparatory Process: strategic considerations ….cont For all these reasons we must opt for a very serious and solid preparatory process for the second Africa Water Week. Such a process must involve all segments of our societies, so that their perceptions will construct a very clear picture of the magnitude of effort that must be taken. This also means that we should give very serious consideration to the format and structure of the second Africa Water Week as well as the anticipated outcomes. We are at a critical juncture – globally, but more so in Africa – where our Heads of State and Government, through the Sharm el-Sheik Declaration, have manifested their grave concern for the region’s constraints and obstacles in the context of the MDGs and their targets. The second African Water Week should be an occasion to reflect on the efforts made in translating into reality the international commitments in the areas of water and sanitation, so that we and our partners can re-commit ourselves to the emerging Africa 2015 MDG roadmap.

Preparatory Process: strategic considerations …. Cont The second Africa Water Week should therefore be used as a vehicle for: Generating accelerated implementation of the Ministerial commitments made in Addis Ababa at the Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water and Sanitation, in 2003; Generating renewed commitments and strategies to achieve the MDGs on water and sanitation in Africa (by Heads of State and High Level/Ministerial officials); Securing greater commitments by Regional Economic Communities to strengthen collaboration with the AU and AMCOW on reaching the MDGs at sub-regional level; Engaging development cooperation partners on commitment of additional resources for implementation of the PanAfCon commitments, the G-8 plan of action for Africa, the EU Water Facility, the recommendations of the Africa Commission; Entering into new partnership agreements between African regional bodies, Governments, Regional Economic Communities, river basin organizatins, civil society, research institutions, private sector, and other key stakeholders; Raising public awareness (including media, youth and children) of renewed strategies to address water and sanitation challenges in Africa.

The high level (Ministerial segment) should aim at securing the: High Level Segment The high level (Ministerial segment) should aim at securing the: Commitment by all African Ministers responsible for water and sanitation to attend, in particular, the Ministerial segment, in view of the very important decisions to be taken regarding actions during the 2010-2015 period. Commitment by Africa’s strategic partners to attend at Ministerial level, the High Level event, at which the Africa 2015 roadmap will be presented.

Ensuring proper timing for the preparatory process The need for a well-conceived preparatory process, will involve as many stakeholders as possible, and which will allow Africa’s major partners, particularly the EU, G-8, United Nations, World Bank, bi-lateral donors and development cooperation partners, and others, to consider the partnership they would like to extend to Africa as it takes its final sprint towards the MDG 2015 finish line.

Ensuring proper timing for the preparatory process This means we should: Provide adequate time for the national, sub-regional and regional preparatory processes for the 2nd Africa Water Week. Allow all categories of stakeholders adequate time for their preparations. Allow time for f awareness-raising on the state of Africa’s water and sanitation situation be undertaken through the media during the period preceding the holding of the 2nd Africa Water Week.

Ensuring proper timing for the preparatory process Allow adequate time in order to ensure a significant increase in the awareness of the general population on the water and sanitation challenges in the region. Involve the private sector, academic institutions and other segments of society addressing water and sanitation. Involve children and youth is of critical importance as they are our future water management leaders. These are indications of the scope and extent o the preparatory process needed if we are to ensure a very impactful and results-oriented second Africa Water Week.

Mobilizing total national commitment On mobilizing national commitment; HE Hon. Charity Ngilu, Minister for Water and Irrigation, will be preparing a briefing for the Kenyan Cabinet, so as to enlist the full support of our Government immediately the dates for hosting this event are known. We shall be putting in place a National Organizing Committee, on which all stakeholders will be represented, in order to ensure a broad-based involvement in the preparatory process.

Mobilizing total national commitment ……cont This Committee will assist in our consultations with all stakeholders, whose participation in the preparatory process and at the event itself will be crucial. One of the early tasks of the National Organizing Committee will involve making a rapid inventory of options for the venue the 2nd Africa Water Week, hotel accommodation capacity, and other related requirements. We shall be holding consultations with Kenya’s media houses, in order to ensure that they become strong partners and supporters of the objectives of the 2nd Africa Water Week.

Mobilizing total national commitment ……cont In close cooperation with AMCOW, UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNESCO, we shall put in place a Secretariat that could serve as an implementation mechanism for our national decisions relating to the 2nd Africa Water Week. We shall formally request the Swedish International Water Institute, GTZ, GWP, WSP Africa, AWEPA and similar bodies to extend support to our efforts as well as to provide assistance to the Secretariat of the second Water Week.

Mobilizing total national commitment ……cont We shall be reaching out to Africa’s strategic partners, resident in Kenya, to solicit their full involvement in the preparatory process and in the event itself. Kenya has adequate conference facilities and Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) has previously hosted large scale events.

Mobilizing total national commitment ……cont We shall count on the African Development Bank and look forward to its substantive organisational and budgetary support. It is our hope that the Executive Director of UNEP, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, who is also the Director General of the UN Office in Nairobi (UNON) will extend support, particularly with respect to the operationalisation of the Secretariat for the 2nd Water Week. It is our hope that the EU, and Development Cooperation Partners will provide institutional and budgetary support (including the secondment of experts to the Secretariat for the 2nd water week).

Mobilizing total national commitment ……cont We further call on UNEP, UNHHABITAT, UNESCO, UNECA, WHO, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, GWP, GTZ, and other partners to explore modalities for supporting the setting up and functioning of the Secretariat. We shall also undertake to estimate the costs of the 2nd Africa Water Week, in consultation with UNEP, UN-Habitat and UNESCO, and in close cooperation with the hosts of the first Water Week, i.e. the African Development Bank.

Launching of the 2nd African Water Week It will be worthwhile to also have a well-organized formal launching of the 2nd Africa Water Week, in which the following listed indicatively should be invited to participate: Chair/Deputy Chair of the AU Commission the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, the President of AMCOW, the President of the African Development Bank the Executive Heads of Agencies of the UN-Water Africa grouping, High Level representatives of both the EU and the G-8, The President of the World Bank, the Crown Prince of the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange, representatives of civil society organisations, Chief Executive Officers of major private sector companies, Chief Executive Officers of major media houses

Concluding remarks We will request the AMCOW President to put in place, as early as possible, a Steering Committee, It is our wish that the Chair of the Steering Committee for the 2nd Africa Water Week will work very closely with the National Organising Committee in order to ensure appropriate synergies Our plea is that we be given a full year for our preparatory process. It will be recalled that the host of the first Africa Water Week, due to organisational considerations requested that the dates of the First Water Week be moved from 2007 to March 2008 to coincide with the World Water Day. Such adjustment of 2 to 3 months, in the case of the Second Water Week, is of strategic importance in terms of ensuring the effective completion of the preparatory process Kenya proposes to host the 2nd Africa Week in March 2010 as this will enable us to give adequate notice to all African Governments and Partners.

THANK YOU