At the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), which closes on 26 September 2023 in New York in the United States of America, a number of commitments were made, including that of mobilising at least $30 billion a year by 2030 to bridge the investment gap in the water sector in Africa, with a view to achieving the sixth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG6). The funds will be raised as part of the "Mind the Gap - Invest in Water" campaign launched by the African Union Commission (AUC).
To raise at least 30 billion dollars a year to support water supply projects in African countries. Only then can the continent hope to achieve the sixth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG6), which aims to provide universal access to drinking water and sanitation by 2030. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal and co-chairman of the high-level panel on investment in Africa’s water sector, made this clear during the launch of the “Mind the Gap – Invest in Water” campaign at the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), which closes on 26 September 2023 in New York, United States of America.
“Of the 780 million people in the world who live without water, 320 million are in Africa. While this figure conceals disparities between countries, it reflects the urgent need to mobilise all available resources to make up for this water shortage, which has a negative impact on health, education, electricity and agriculture”, declared Senegal’s Head of State in New York.
The campaign, launched on 19 September by the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, will mobilise the necessary funds from leaders and development partners. According to Senegalese President Macky Sall, water funding for Africa currently fluctuates between $10 billion and $19 billion a year, short of the $30 billion a year needed.
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Achieving this funding target “will accelerate sustainable development”, said Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group in New York.
An evaluation of the “Mind the Gap – Invest in Water” campaign will be carried out at an International Conference on Water and Sanitation to be held in 2026, prior to the 2030 MDGs. “The organisation of this conference was decided by a resolution of the UN General Assembly on 1 September last year”, recalls Senegalese President Macky Sall.
Inès Magoum
