UCLG Africa participates in the 19th Meeting of the OECD Water Governance Initiative in Marrakech

The 19th meeting of the OECD Water Governance Initiative (WGI) took place on March 5 and 6, 2024 at the Mohammed VI Museum for Water Civilization in Marrakech, Morocco. This event, organized by the OECD in collaboration with the Ministry of National Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy, the Ministry of Equipment and Water, as well as UCLG Africa, aimed to:

– Inform delegates of WGI’s contribution to global agendas and the 10th World Water Forum.

– Share feedback on water governance in times of disaster management.

– Peer review OECD work on the blue and circular economies.

– Discuss the progress of the Handbook on local implementation of the OECD Principles of Water Governance.

– Discuss the next steps of the WGI for the period 2024-2027.

A delegation from UCLG Africa, led by Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of the organization and member of the WGI Strategic Committee, took part in the meeting. The delegation also included Mr. Oumar BA, President of the West African Economic and Monetary Union’s (WAEMU) Council of Local Authorities , Mr. Ait Lhaj Noureddine, Vice-President of the Moroccan Association of Mayors (AMPCC), Mr. Nbou Mohamed, Special Advisor on Climate, Biodiversity and Food Systems, and Ms. Benlebsir Soumia, Project Manager in UCLG Africa’s Climate Department.

The meeting was organized around three main themes:

– Contributions to global agendas and water research.

– Water governance in times of crisis and climate change: focus on the case of Morocco.

– Sustainable blue economy in cities, regions and basins.

Following the opening of the session by the President of the Initiative, Mrs. Barbara Pompili, the three main partners, represented respectively by the Secretary General of the Ministry Department of Housing and Urban Policy, Mr. Youssef Hosni, the Moroccan Ministry of Water, represented by Mr. Abdelaziz Zerouali, Director of Research and Planning, and Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa, took the floor. They stressed the importance of rational water management in the context of the climate emergency, and proposed urgent legislative, regulatory, incentive, financial and programmatic measures to be taken.

In a speech delivered on behalf of the Minister for National Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy, Mr. Youssef Hosni recalled the Royal Directives concerning the water issue, and the urgent and future challenges it poses. He stressed that the issue of water cannot be tackled solely through an isolated sectoral policy, but that it represents a concern shared by many sectors. He also stressed the importance of finding sustainable solutions for the integrated management of water resources, and of investing in appropriate infrastructures to meet this global challenge and ensure equitable access to water for all.

Mr. Abdelaziz Zerouali, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Water, highlighted the Moroccan government’s new approach to managing water issues, which integrates the economic aspect to further structure supply and demand. He also stressed the crucial role of international cooperation in implementing development, resilience and water conservation programs, through technical and financial support. He stressed that the exchange of experience and best practices, as well as the

transfer of technology and innovation between countries are essential levers for further strengthening international cooperation in the water sector.

For his part, the Secretary General of UCLG Africa Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi highlighted the importance of the “Round Table of African Mayors for Water Security” initiative and called for effective subsidiarity in water resource management in Africa. He emphasized the need to bridge important gaps in multi-level governance in water management, including water security, capacity building, water information processing and reporting systems, and access to financing.

At the close of the session, discussions continued along the three lines mentioned above. There was also a presentation of the summary report on “The Blue Economy in Cities and Regions”, to which UCLG Africa contributed. This report served as an essential basis for reflection, highlighting the correlation between freshwater and ocean resource management, as well as the role of basins and sub-national governments in promoting a resilient, inclusive, sustainable and circular blue economy.

With regard to the first axis, concerning the initiative’s contribution to the global agenda, in particular the World Water Forum scheduled to take place in Bali in May 2024, the floor was given to the various session coordinators, in particular the T4B session on decentralized water management. During this session, UCLG Africa’s Special Advisor on Climate, Biodiversity and Food Systems Mr. Nbou Mohamed presented the state of preparations, focusing on three aspects: multi-level governance, decentralized cooperation and innovation as a catalyst for governance.

In addition, Morocco’s vision of risk management and resilience was presented by the various departments involved, with a particular focus on the Tensift watershed.

The preliminary results of the policy dialogue between the OECD and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on “water reuse and the circular economy in Latin America” were presented, based on a survey carried out in eight countries in the region. During the meeting, participants had the opportunity to react and formulate their suggestions on the self-assessment framework, as well as to share their points of view and the experience of their countries or institutions.

On the sidelines of the 19th meeting of the OECD Water Governance Initiative (WGI), participants visited Morocco’s Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilization of Water. The Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, held a bilateral meeting with the Secretary General of the Ministerial Department of Housing and Urban Policy, Mr. Youssef Hosni, on the subject of Strengthening the Climate Resilience of Poor Urban Populations (BCRUP initiative) and the revitalization of the project with Majal (Federation of Moroccan Urban Agencies) as part of the strengthening of inter-city cooperation. He also held a meeting with Mr. Oumar Ba, President of the Council of Local Authorities of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, on the Readiness program for access to climate finance for local authorities in the WAEMU region. Finally, he had a working and coordination meeting with Mr. Eric Tardieu, Secretary General of the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) on the activities of the 10th World Water Forum scheduled for Bali.

As a reminder, the OECD Water Governance Initiative (WGI) is an international platform bringing together over 100 delegates from the public, private and civil society sectors. It meets twice a year at a policy forum to exchange experiences, lessons learned and best practices aimed at supporting better water governance.

Established in March 2013, the WGI aims to:

– Provide a multi-stakeholder technical platform to share knowledge, experiences and best practices in water governance at all levels of government.

– Advise governments on the measures needed for effective water reforms through peer-to-peer dialogue and stakeholder engagement in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

– Provide a consultation mechanism to raise the profile of governance on the global water agenda.

– Support the implementation of the OECD Principles of Water Governance in interested member and non-member countries, by identifying best practices and using the framework of indicators for self-assessment.

– Promote continuity on the subject of governance in between World Water Forums.