Honourable Ministers, Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen

Representatives of our Member States, partners and stakeholders

On behalf of the people and Government of the Republic of Namibia, I warmly invite you all to the seventh edition of the Africa Sanitation Conference. The event will take place in Swakopmund, Namibia, on 6 – 10 November 2023.

The AfricaSan Conference – as it is popularly known – is convened by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and the Commission of the African Union. The Republic of Namibia will host the upcoming seventh edition.

The Seventh AfricaSan Conference will be convened under the theme: Strengthening Systems and Partnerships for Accelerated Action on Safely Managed Sanitation and Hygiene.

Recall the July 2008 Declaration on Accelerating the Achievement of Water and Sanitation Goals by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Sharm El-Sheikh, Arab Republic of Egypt.

Against this background, African Ministers responsible for water and sanitation adopted the Ngor Vision and Commitments during the Fourth AfricaSan Conference (Dakar, 2015). The Commitments, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 seek to achieve universal access to adequate and sustainable sanitation and hygiene services and to eliminate open defecation by 2030 – paying special attention to the needs of women, girls, and those in vulnerable situations.

Therefore, our target is to advance the progress in achieving the Ngor Commitments, hence, the AfricaSan7 Conference.

Sanitation is not just a basic need but a fundamental right that empowers individuals and transforms communities. It is the cornerstone of health, education, and economic growth. Access to safe sanitation improves health outcomes, opens doors to quality education, and creates opportunities for economic prosperity.

The Seventh AfricaSan Conference will strengthen our partnerships, knowledge exchange, and efforts in leveraging investments in sanitation. Also, it will catalyse action on research and innovation, capacity development, hygiene and behaviour change, gender mainstreaming and other inclusive approaches to sanitation development.

Our political leadership, sector actors and the water and sanitation community in Africa and beyond will converge in Swakopmund to revitalise Africa’s pursuit of the Ngor Commitment targets on sanitation and hygiene. Through collaboration and collective action, we can turn ideas into tangible results and transform aspirations into reality.

Africa looks forward to benefiting from your wealth of knowledge and expertise. Namibia’s vibrant cultures, awe-inspiring landscapes, and warm hospitality will be a motivating backdrop to our deliberations.

Honourable Ministers, Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen, save the date of 6 – 11 November 2023. We, the people and Government of the Republic of Namibia await you in Swakopmund for the Seventh AfricaSan Conference.

Let us join hands to shape the future of Africa’s water supply, sanitation and hygiene services provision.

See you at the Seventh AfricaSan Conference in Swakopmund, Namibia.

I Thank you.