Prince Willem-Alexander Attends First African Water Week In Tunis

After attending World Water Day 2008 in Geneva several days ago, the Prince of Orange was in Tunis for First African Water Week on March 26th. The event was organised by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The theme was “Accelerating Water Security for Socio-Economic Development of Africa.”

Below is some text from Prince Willem-Alexander’s speech in Tunis at the First African Water Week.

“In September 2006 I accepted Mr Kofi Annan’s request to chair his Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation. Soon after, in December 2006, I chaired my first meeting, here in this hotel in Tunis, where we also held our first regional dialogue with African stakeholders led by the African Ministers’ Council on Water.”

“That frank and sobering dialogue underscored the many serious roadblocks impeding progress on water and sanitation in Africa. Yet, ultimately, it was also a hopeful and encouraging discussion. It reaffirmed my belief that by working hand-in-hand with our African partners, UNSGAB can make a difference. Since that first meeting in Tunis, I have seen what we can achieve. And I have not once regretted saying yes to the Secretary-General 18 months ago.”

“At that meeting in Tunis, you, our African partners, emphasized the urgent need to galvanize a stronger, more operational political commitment at the highest levels. And so we all agreed to campaign for an African water and sanitation summit specifically in the International Year of Sanitation, a high-profile event to push water and sanitation to the fore of African politics. On behalf of UNSGAB, I promised our support in making it happen.”

“And we did it! The African Union’s General Assembly recently agreed to organise a dedicated African Union Summit of Heads of State on Water and Sanitation, to be held on 30 June in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt. But a Summit alone… well, we’ve seen enough of them to know how effective they are without the right input. Input is content and content is king.”

“A very important step towards formulating that content was made at the Africa Sanitation Conference in Durban last February.”

“35 African Ministers and Heads of Delegation pledged their full support and commitment to making an ultimate effort to achieve the millennium goals on sanitation. This was put down on paper in concrete agreements in the éThekwini Commitments on Sanitation and the AfricaSan Action Plan 2008-2010. The next step will be to have these agreements endorsed by the Heads of State at the AU Summit in Sharm el Sheikh.”

“My sincere congratulations and thanks to everyone who helped to achieve these impressive results!”

The entire text from Prince Willem-Alexander’s speech in Tunis for First African Water Week can be read here.

Photo: ANP/EPA