The curtains have fallen on the 14th General Assembly of African Ministers Responsible for Water (AMCOW) in Dakar. The chair of the meeting's scientific committee, Dr. Bakary Faty, outlined the key decisions that culminated in the meeting.

The participants left the Senegalese capital with the adoption of the African Water Policy Vision 2063. “The African Water Vision and Policy 2063 (AWP&V63) entitled “A resilient and water secure Africa with safe sanitation for all” as a strategic and transformative framework for the continent to: 7.1. achieve inclusive and climate-resilient water security; and 7.2. guide actions aimed at achieving Agenda 2063. 8,” said Dr. Bakary Faty, Director of Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE) of the Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation of Senegal.

The Assembly commended the inclusive process led by Member States that led to this comprehensive framework. A vote of deep gratitude was expressed to the Republic of Zambia for successfully hosting the Third African Water Implementation and Partnership Conference (PANAFCON3) in Lusaka. The latter meeting culminated in a consensus on the vision statements and policy objectives constituting the African Water Vision and Policy 2063.

Furthermore, a motion of appreciation was addressed to the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the 9th African Water Week which served as a platform for a situation analysis regarding the progress made in the implementation of the African Water Vision and Policy 2025.

The meeting also approved the main instruments for strengthening AMCOW's leadership. These are the AMCOW Strategic Operational Plan (SOP) 2026-2030 to position it as a proactive and influential institution, the AMCOW Business Plan 2026-2030 which aims to ensure financial sustainability and continental impact, the AMCOW Three-Year Work Programme and Budget for 2026-2028, the Strategic Programme on Groundwater for Water Security and Resilience in Africa (SPGWR) 2026-2033, the increase in annual statutory contributions from Member States from US$10,000 to US$25,000, starting from the 2026 financial year, to strengthen AMCOW's financial sustainability and continental ownership.

“We strongly urge all Member States to settle their arrears and commit to making future payments. The Secretariat is tasked with expediting plans to establish a permanent headquarters and fully operationalize the Development Partner Coordination Framework (DPCF) as the primary mechanism for resource mobilization and alignment,” Dr. Bakary Faty said.