Remarks by Minister Biruta

African Ministers’ Council on Water General Assembly

Park Inn by Radisson Hotel, Kigali | 13 February 2019

I am delighted to join you today for the re-convened 11th General Assembly of the African Ministers’ Council on Water. I would like to welcome you to Rwanda and thank the President and Secretariat of the Council for selecting Kigali to host this important gathering.

We are meeting today to conclude on unfinished business from Libreville after the General Assembly was adjourned late last year. I have no doubt our time together will be productive and provide a conducive environment to conclude on critical deliberations for the future of the Council.

During our time here in Kigali, we must ensure we fulfill the mandate of the Council: promoting cooperation, security, social and economic development and poverty eradication by effectively managing the continent’s water resources.

Doing so requires us to have a clear strategy and plan to achieve our goals. That is why the work that has been undertaken by the Technical Advisory Committee and partners to develop the Council’s five-year Strategic Operational Plan for 2019 to 2024 is so important.

The draft Strategic Operational Plan features key strategic areas such as the creation of a Knowledge Management and Information Sharing Platform, a groundwater management desk, the strengthening of the Pan-African water and sanitation sector monitoring, and the establishment of a resource mobilization initiative.

We commend the Secretariat and the Executive Secretary for his leadership in initiating and steering the process.

I also understand that the Secretariat recently signed a four year grant agreement with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency worth 4 million US dollars for institutional strengthening support.

In addition, from September 2016 to today, the Secretariat has mobilised more than eight million dollars. I wish to congratulate the Secretariat for this achievement, and encourage you to keep up the good work.

Once the Strategic Operational Plan has been adopted, we must put it into action by working together, sharing experiences and putting citizens at the centre of our efforts. Ensuring water safety, sanitation and hygiene, good governance and transboundary cooperation, as well as effective management of the council itself, requires us to work hand in hand.

At a time when run-away climate change is looking more likely, we cannot afford to work in isolation. In a three to four degree warmer world, our ability to manage our water resources will determine the health and wealth of our nations.

The decisions we take during the course of this General Assembly will lay a solid foundation for the future of well managed water resources and sanitation in Africa.

I thank the outgoing AMCOW President, Hon. Makame Mnyaa Mbarawa for the excellent work accomplished over the last two years. My appreciation also goes to the Council, Secretariat and all those involved in the preparation of the General Assembly.

I wish to conclude by welcoming you, once again, to Rwanda, and encouraging you to find time to explore the City of Kigali, as well as other places across the country.

I wish you fruitful deliberations.

Thank you for your kind attention.