The African Development Bank Group continues to place high priority on the water sector as a way of assisting Regional Member Countries (RMCs) to realize poverty reduction and economic growth because of the unique potential of this sector to contribute to achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Water and Sanitation Department jointly with the African Water Facility is hosting a panel discussion bringing together high-level keynote speaker and discussants representing various stakeholder groups, for a rich exchange of views on general issues related to water in Africa. This will be an opportunity for the panelists to comment on the current context, share their vision of the future, discuss progress made and lessons learnt by their respective organizations, and ways to address current financing and resource gaps.
Participant
Keynote Speaker
Mr. Michel Camdessus
Honorary Governor of Banque de France. Chairman of the French Financing Corporation. Former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Moderator
Mr. Komla Dumor
News presenter for the BBC's international news channel, BBC World, presenting BBC World News and Africa Business Report
Discussants
Mr. Bobby Pittman
Vice President Infrastructure, Private Sector & Regional Integration AfDB
Minister Edna Bomo Edith Molewa
Minister of Water Affairs, South Africa. President of African AMCOW
Minister Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua
Minister, Energy and Hydraulics of the Republic of the Congo
Mr. Gérard Payen
President of the International Federation of Private Water Operators (AquaFed). Member of the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation
Ms. Clarissa Brocklehurst
Chief Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, UNICEF
Grassroots Perspective
Ms. Ma Tshepo Khumbane
Grassroots development activist and small-scale farmer from Cullinan, South Africa. Recipient of the Katlego Award of Spirit of Hope and South Africa's Women in Water.