Windhoek: The Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) officially established its presence in Namibia on Wednesday with the signing of a host agreement that anchors the organisation's secretariat in Windhoek under an innovative dual-headquarters model. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, described the move as a decisive step forward, with Namibia now home to the world's first Global South-anchored intergovernmental organisation dedicated to water.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Zaamwani said the decision to host the GWPO Secretariat in Windhoek reflects confidence in Africa's capacity to lead, convene, and deliver on one of the most pressing development challenges, which is water security. She stated, "Namibia is one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Water scarcity is not an abstract concept for us; it is a lived reality that shapes our development choices. Precisely because of this, Namibia has long understood that water is the foundation for economic growth, human dignity, peace, and resilience."
She further explained that the secretariat would help translate political commitments into bankable investments as the world approaches the 2026 United Nations Water Conference and assured the GWP of an enabling environment, including the privileges and immunities necessary for its independent operation, similar to other bodies hosted in Namibia, like the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Secretariat. Zaamwani emphasized that Namibia stands ready to work closely with the GWPO to operationalise its 2026-2030 Strategy by hosting high-level policy dialogues, ministerial roundtables, and technical consultations that feed into global processes such as the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments, the G20 legacy initiatives, and the African Union's forthcoming African Water Vision.
Additionally, the Chairperson of the GWPO Technical Committee, Jaehyan So, highlighted the importance of knowledge in maintaining infrastructure. "The biggest lesson from the World Bank was that the key to providing successful infrastructure services was not the building or the construction, but the knowledge that it takes to operate, maintain, and deliver services for citizens," So said. She pointed out that while general infrastructure has improved globally, water security has arguably worsened due to climate change, citing South Korea as an example where solving water security was a prerequisite for economic miracles like its semiconductor industry.
To mark the launch, the GWPO announced an immediate partnership with the Namibia University of Science and Technology to foster academic and technical cooperation.