SECAM: SECAM to Discuss Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy in Strategic Webinar Ahead of 39th AU Summit
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As the continent prepares for the 39th African Union (AU) Summit scheduled for 14-15 February in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), the leadership of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has planned for a hybrid webinar for Saturday, February 7, to discuss the new Africa Water Vision 2063 and policy, with the voices and needs of citizens at the center of the agenda.
Recognizing that faith-based organizations often serve as the primary providers of social services in the most remote areas of the continent, the webinar will explore how these institutions can better align with AU priorities.
“It will investigate how faith-based organizations, leveraging their extensive grassroots presence, can align with African Union priorities by providing policy support, practical solutions, technological innovations, and sustainable financing for water and sanitation initiatives,” reads in parts the message inviting participants to register and attend the side event.
The event will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including faith leaders, policymakers from the African Union Commission, researchers, and private-sector innovators. Together, they will work toward the development of the “Addis Ababa 2026 Faith-Based Declaration on Water Sustainability and Sanitation.”
The invited speakers will include, among others: His Eminence Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo Besungu, the President of SECAM, and the Archbishop of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), His Eminence Berhaneyesus Cardinal Demerew Souraphiel, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa; and Archbishop Brian Ngozi Udaigwe the Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Apostolic Delegate to Somalia.
This declaration as per the shared message, is intended to serve as a moral and practical roadmap, urging African leaders at the upcoming summit to view water security as a shared sacred trust and a fundamental human right.
The hybrid webinar format will enable in-person participation in Addis Ababa and global online engagement and will offer simultaneous interpretation in English and French.
The 39th AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government will be held under the theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems.”
As the AU theme recognizes water as the foundation of dignity, health, and economic survival, SECAM’s webinar seeks to bridge the gap between continental policies and on-the-ground realities, advocating a human-centered, ethical approach to water management.
Register for the webinar using the link: Webinar Registration – Zoom
