Overview
The World Water Forum is the world's largest event on water. It has been organized every three years since 1997 by the World Water Council, in partnership with a host country. The 1st World Water Forum was held in Marrakesh in 1993 with few hundred participants. The World Water Forum has grown to be one of the most attended world events, with the number of participants ranging from a few hundred at its start to tens of thousands participants in recent editions. One of the objectives of the forum is to engage governments, the private sector and civil society to catalyze action on the implementation of SDG 6 and related Sustainable Development Goals. The 9th Forum will be the first of its kind to be hosted in sub-Saharan Africa.
The ambition of Senegal and the World Water Council is to organize a different Forum, at the social, political and economic levels, a Forum that is a catalyst for action to accelerate universal access to water and sanitation, a Forum that is connected and linked to global agendas and commitments relating to SDGs, the Sendai agreement on natural risks and disasters, the Paris agreement on climate, Africa's 2063 agenda, etc.
The Forum will also be an opportunity for Senegal and the World Water Council to exchange views on the future of water and sanitation, and a contextualized, global and community-based Forum anchored on key water challenges in Africa and around the world.
Senegal has shown leadership on water issues both in Africa and on the global stage e.g.
- Senegal was a founding member of AMCOW (African
- Ministers Council on Water) in 2002 by HE President Mack Sall then Water Minister;
- Senegal chaired AMCOW from 2014 – 2016;
- Senegal chairs the African Water Facility (AWF) 2016 – 2018
- Senegal is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and placed its mandate under the theme «Water, Peace and Security”.
- His Excellency, President Macky SALL is a member of the High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) whose objective was to seek ways and means to conserve and protect water resources as well as the mobilization of financial resources necessary to achieve the targeted international objectives concerning water;
- Senegal is vice president of the High Level Panel on «Water and Peace» whose mission was to provide a global architecture to make water not a source of conflicts, but an instrument of cooperation and peace;
- Senegal is among the African countries that met the MDG targets on water.
- The NGOR Declaration (municipality of the city of Dakar) is Africa’s roadmap for the realization of the African Vision 2025, agenda 2063 and the SDG6 on Water and Sanitation.
- Senegal, through the implementation of the SDGs and Senegal Emergent Plan (PSE), will ensure water security, promote peace, guarantee universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation and attain sustainable development.
- Senegal’s leadership on water resources as central in sustainable development was recognized by the World Water Council in Senegal’s successful bid to host the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar in 2021.
