Hani Sweilam, Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation and Chairperson of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), participated in the session "Innovative Financing Mechanisms to Achieve Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals" in the World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. Sweilam indicated the importance of this session as a platform for analyzing the financial mechanisms of the water and sanitation sector in Africa, especially as we are in the middle of the road to achieving the sustainable development goals that came into force in 2016, and there are only seven remaining years up to 2030, which is the target year for achieving the goals of sustainable development. The minister added that the session provides an opportunity to assess the progress made during the past seven years, and an opportunity to consider the lessons we have learned and gives the opportunity to governments, financial institutions and the private sector to exchange knowledge and experience to chart the way forward towards achieving the sixth goal of sustainable development in Africa during the next seven years. This session was held a few months following the 13th General Assembly of the AMCOW, which was held in Cairo last June, in the presence of more than 40 African ministers and officials for water. Sweilam stressed the importance of considering how to finance initiatives aimed at building capacity and providing training for young workers in the water and sanitation sectors in Africa, in recognition of the role of youth in achieving the African Union's Agenda 2063 "The Africa We Want". "Over the past years, the world has witnessed great efforts to place water and sanitation issues at the heart of social and economic development in Africa, starting with the Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration to Accelerate the Achievement of Water and Sanitation Goals in Africa, which was adopted by the heads of state and government of the African Union at the 11th Ordinary Session of the African Union. 2008," says Sweilam. The Minister of Irrigation referred to the efforts made by Egypt with regard to covering drinking water and sanitation services, expanding the installation of domestic water meters, using water-saving installations, and launching media awareness campaigns to conserve water.
