SENEGAL, DAKAR-Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) advocates from across the world and other world leaders are considering a concept that will ensure proper funding and requisite improvement for the WASH sector.
The WASH Legislative Caucus’ concept is a brainchild of Liberia and was introduced at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal.
The Liberian delegation comprised the Chairman and CEO of the National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Commission, Bobby Whitfield, the Co-Chair of Liberia’s WASH Legislative Caucus, Grand Bassa County Representative, Vincent Willie, a representative from Civil Society, Timothy Kpeh and other representatives from the Liberia Water and Sewage Corporation (LWSC).
The WASH Legislative Caucus has been launched on the global level.
According to the CSO Representative on the Liberian delegation, Timothy Kpeh, who first introduced the idea in Liberia in 2016, other delegates at the forum embraced and are considering the concept after a presentation of the Liberian experience.
Mr. Kpeh said:” The Liberian delegation shared its experience on successes in the WASH sector, since the establishment of the WASH Legislative Caucus, something that triggered the interest of other world WASH advocates and leaders.”
“Some of the successes we mentioned are the establishment of the WASH Commission that was done as a result of the WASH Legislative Caucus establishment,” Mr. Kpeh noted.
He added, “We were also able to succeed with the appointment of officials that led to the inclusion of funds in the budget for WASH for the first time.”
Mr. Kpeh explained that the Liberian delegation at the forum participated in the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) 20th Anniversary, where members of the delegation stressed the need for civil societies to be empowered to demand their governments to ensure the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said the Liberian delegation also participated in the launch of the Parliamentary Handbook on WASH developed by Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), a tool for lawmakers to prioritize WASH.
“There’s lot of progress that we have made so far in terms of our participation in this year’s World Water Forum,” Mr. Kpeh added.
The 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal was held from March 22 to 27 under the theme “Water Security for Peace and Development.”
It brought together participants, including political and economic decision-makers, multilateral institutions, academia, civil society and the private sector.
The forums, through an innovative framework, sort to identify, promote and implement concrete responses and actions for water and sanitation in an integrated way.
It was the first time the World Water Forum, the largest international water-related event was convened in sub-Saharan Africa.
