NAN-AE-4
Report
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, March 28, 2017 (NAN) Water and Sanitation ministers from African countries have adopted the Durban Political Declaration for accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A report made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday said that the declaration arose from the 2017 World Water Day Celebration and the Global Launch of the UN World Water Development Report 2017 in South Africa.
The adoption of the political declaration, which coincided with the announcement of the “Call for Action” on the implementation of the SDGs with particular emphasis on Goal 6 (Water and Sanitation), was witnessed by members of the High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) and other stakeholders.
The report, which has the unanimous support of all political leaders, mirrors the key principles, pillars and vision of the African Union, African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), and HLPW Action Plan in support of the implementation of the SDGs.
“The Political Declaration seeks to encourage the acceleration plans and programmes and commit to the rollout of the Action Plan initiative.
“In this latest declaration, we recalled the decision of the African Union Heads of State and Government on the implementation of the July 2008 Assembly Declaration on the Sharm El Sheikh Commitments for accelerating the achievement of water and sanitation goals in Africa; the eThekwini Declaration, among others.”
The report also quoted the ministers’ commitment to support and share the best practice models and initiatives, championed by regional leaders who served as members of the High Level Panel on Water, notably Presidents of Senegal, South Africa and Mauritius.
This, according to the declaration, is in line with the Africa Water Vision 2025 which envisages “an Africa where there is an equitable and sustainable use and management of water resources for poverty alleviation, socio-economic development, regional cooperation and the environment.”
To drive this, the ministers urged AMCOW, African Development Bank (AfDB) and African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with development partners, to convene meetings of ministers responsible for water and finance to develop and implement appropriate financing policies and models for water and sanitation.
The declaration also urged the African Heads of State and Government, through the AUC, to prioritise water and sanitation as essential ingredients to Africa’s economic development and growth.
The report also quoted the African ministers and members of the High Level Panel on Water as welcoming AMCOW’s launch of the Pan-African web-based monitoring and reporting system for water and sanitation sector, which is linked to the global monitoring processes.
NAN reports that the High Level Political Declaration commits African governments to increasing their budgetary allocations, in line with the central role of water security and sanitation in Agenda 2030 as well as the Sharm El Sheikh Declaration. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/OOK
============
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe