Global Water Operator Partnership Alliance

Introduction

The Global Water Operator Partnership Alliance (GWOPA) held its founding meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on January 29-30th 2009. The meeting was hosted by UN-Habitat, which acts as the secretariat of this initiative.

GWOPA is the eventual outcome of a report written by the late Ryutaro Hashimoto, the ex Chair of United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB). The report, now known as the Hashimoto Action Plan (HAP), recognises that approximately 90% of the world’s water is supplied by public providers. . And, expresses how public providers need to share knowledge, expertise and capacity if the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’S), as set at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in 2002, are to be progressed in any way.

According to Hashimoto, water operator partnerships should be ‘a structured programme of cooperation among water operators, based on mutual support and on a not-for-profit basis’ . While it is envisaged that mainly public providers will share knowledge, expertise and capacity based on the rationale of solidarity and a desire to help, private providers can become involved as long as they understand their involvement is on a not for profit basis.

During the meeting the structure, membership and founding principles were discussed and mainly agreed. The vast majority of participants agreed the ethos of the GWOPA, and their regional partners, should encompass partnerships based on the free and unrestrained transfer of knowledge in order to help struggling and under-resourced water utilities and on a not-for profit basis. This initiative marks a significant change from most other policy initiatives designed to address the current crisis of inequitable water supply in the world today.

Concerns

That the principles as set by Hashimoto and discussed and agreed by the participants in Nairobi will constantly be challenged by those who see the GWOPA as an opportunity to expand their business and ultimately increase their profit-making.

External sources

UNSGAB H.A.P Implementation

UN-Habitat, Presentations from Nairobi, January 2009