AfDB at Second African Water Week (AWW-2) in South Africa, 9-13 November 2009

A high level delegation from the African Development Bank (AfDB), led by the Vice President for Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional integration, Mr. Bobby Pittman, will take part in the Second African Water Week (AWW-2), to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 9-13 November, 2009. The first African Water Week was organized by the AfDB jointly with the African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW) and held in March 2008, in Tunis.

Having gathered more than 500 participants, the event was considered as a tremendous success. One of the main outcomes was a Ministerial Declaration on Accelerating Water Security for Africa’s Socio-Economic Development. For this second edition, the African Water Week will be both unique and innovative in character as the main focus will be on implementation and partnership as Africa sprints towards the 2015 MDG targets. It will bring together through a strong unity of purpose, African countries and UN agencies, civil society groups, the private sector and development cooperation partners, to address the critical issue of water and sanitation, which is a key to sustainable development on the continent.

The Conference will be a direct response to the Sharm El Sheikh Commitments on water and sanitation adopted by the African Union Heads of State and Government (Egypt, July 2008).