Janneh says concrete programme necessary to render water accessible to rural Africa

Abstract

The United Nations Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has called on participants at the ongoing 6th World Water Forum to agree on concrete actions to facilitate the delivery of safe water to millions of Africans who remain in need. The panel was unanimous in calling on African governments, bilateral and multilateral partners and other key stakeholders to help raise the resources (estimated at $400 million over the next three years) required to ensure that safe water is availability in acceptable levels throughout Africa. Mr. Janneh said that there is a clear need for a work programme that would lead to the achievement of the goal African countries set for ourselves by continuing to place water issues at the forefront of Africa’s development agenda. He renewed the commitment of ECA which hosts the secretariat of UN-Water/Africa to continue providing the support that will enable the water sector in the continent to build on its pioneering role as a model of inter-Agency coherence and synergy.