About PANAFCON
The Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON) series of conferences are multistakeholder dialogue platforms that bring together Member States, international cooperating partners, private sector, civil society, academia amongst others. Collectively, delegates deliberate on pertinent issues concerning the water and sanitation sector on the continent.
PANAFCON-1
PANAFCON-1 held form 8-12 December 2003, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, brought together Member States intergovernmental organisations, nongovernmental organisations and other key stakeholders. The conference aimed to address the implications of the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) on regional water initiatives and the continent’s role in implementing the Summit’s outcomes. The Conference also provided a platform for AU Member States, the international community and UN agencies to reaffirm their commitment to solving Africa’s water crisis and to collectively implement the actions envisaged in the African Water Vision 2025, the Water Agenda of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the WSSD’s sanitation targets and the water-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Key outcomes included:
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The African Water Facility
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The African Water Journal
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Phase II of the Water for African Cities Programme
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Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative
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The G8 Action Plan on Water for Africa
PANAFCON-2
The second PANAFCON provided an opportunity for Development Partners to renew commitment to the activities AMCOW on Water and Africa’s water development agenda
PANAFCON-3
After more than a decade, PANAFCON-3 is set to convene in May 2025 in Lusaka, Zambia, marking a renewed commitment to Africa’s water and sanitation agenda and strengthening collaboration among governments, stakeholders, and development partners.
Hosted by the Government of the Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, convened by the African Union Commission and the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), and co-convened by African Development Bank/Africa Water Facility (AfDB/AWF), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the third African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON-3) will be convened under the theme “Assuring inclusive and climate resilient water security and sanitation for the Africa We Want“. The aim to ensure that the post-2025 Africa Water Vision and Policy places water and sanitation at the heart of achieving social transformation and economic growth on the continent.
