NEWS
7
Hon . Carl Hermann Gustav Schlettwein elected AMCOW President
From
AMCOW September Newsletter
Namibian Minister of Agriculture , Water and Land Reform Hon . Carl Hermann Gustav Schlettwein is the new AMCOW President after officially taking over from H . E . Alain-Claude BILIE-BY-NZE , State Minister & Minister for Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Gabon at the 12th Ordinary Session of the General Assembly of the Governing Council of the African Ministers ' Council on Water ( AMCOW ) held virtually on the 18th of February 2021 .
AMCOW
Hon . Carl Hermann Gustav Schlettwein .
“ I accept this appointment graciously cognisant of the numerous challenges ahead in ensuring that we deliver sustainable Water , Sanitation and Hygiene services for all our people across the 55 member states in Africa by 2030 ”. Hon . Schlettwein said in a speech read on his behalf by the Executive Director in the Ministry , Mr Percy W . Misika . “ I pledge to serve AMCOW with commitment and determination , and I will continue to build on the solid foundation that has been laid down by my predecessor and those who served before him .”
The biennial Assembly brings together the 55 Ministers responsible for Water and Sanitation also called the Governing Council , the Technical Advisory Committee ( TAC ), the Member States Focal Point Officials , as well as representatives of the Africa Union Commission . The Assembly was preceded by the TAC Session from the 15th to 17th . 15 Ministers and Deputy Ministers attended the meeting as well as 19 officials who represented Ministers .
“ We need to strengthen our strategic leadership and coordination as the governing council of AMCOW to work together to drive resilience , recovery and growth for Africa through improved access to water and sanitation services for the more than 300 million Africans and support each other to build back better ,” H . E . Alain-Claude BILIE-BY-NZE said . “ As much as this is a sad situation , it presents an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the continent and leave a legacy that will speak in posterity .”
At the General Assembly , the Governing Council considered recommendations from the TAC and considered decisions which will guide policy and strategic directions for AMCOW in the next two years .
“ Covid-19 is a global threat that has awakened the whole world to the utmost importance of Water , Sanitation and Hygiene ,” H . E . Amb . Josefa Sacko , Commissioner for Agriculture , Rural Development , Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission said .” Even with the provision of the vaccine for Coronavirus , sanitation and hygiene is still critical for human existence in all countries on the planet and for the socio-economic development of our dear continent . As we are all aware , these preventative measures are already embedded in the July 2008 African Union Sharm El-Sheikh Commitment on Water and Sanitation and other continental and regional water related frameworks .”
The General Assembly also considered the adoption of the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines which will provide the necessary guidance to enable African countries to develop Sanitation and Hygiene policies that can provide the necessary foundation for improving access to sanitation and hygiene services to ultimately improve the health and wellbeing and strengthen Africa ’ s resilience to pandemics like the Covid-19 .
“ We have been able to complete the development of the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines which has been recommended by AMCOW
November 2021 Volume 27 I Number 9 www . plumbingafrica . co . za