The Honorable Minister,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Nairobi.

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

Petition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya to Push and Advance Priorities of Rightsholders in Africa During the Forthcoming UN 2023 Water Conference

 

We, the undersigned people and organisations of Kenya, respectfully request that the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya during the upcoming 2023 United Nations Water Conference taking place New York from 22nd - 24th March 2023, strongly represent the voices of Africa and and advance the below stated five highly important water priority issues of Africa.

 

Access to clean and safe water is a basic human right, yet many Africans continue to face challenges in accessing this essential resource. The continent of Africa is particularly vulnerable to water insecurity due to factors such as water privatisation, natural resource extraction activities, low tax funding to the water sector and poor infrastructure.

 

As a result, many African communities are at risk of water-borne diseases, crop failures, and economic insecurity. This is particularly true for marginalized sections of the population such as women and children who are often responsible for porting water into homes in the absence of piped networks.

 

We believe that the voices of Kenyans must be heard at this important conference and call on the Ministry to ensure that the delegation to the Conference represents fully the people of Kenya and the Five Water Priority Issues of Africa. The delegation should advance the following issues:

 

  1. Improving access to clean and safe water for all African communities, free at the point of use to guarantee the attainment of SDG Goal 6.

2. Addressing the impact of climate and natural resource extractive activities on water resources in Africa and developing strategies for safe and clean water bodies.

3. Investing tax resources in water infrastructure to improve water management and conservation.

4. Promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in water management and decision-making.

5. Enhancing cooperation and partnerships between public utilities across borders for capacity building and systems strengthening to address the challenges of water insecurity in Africa.

 

We urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kenya to kindly take action and ensure that its delegation to the United Nations Water conference will add the key challenges of water in Africa to the agenda.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ruth Mumbi

Convenor, Women Collective Kenya