Elections for the Steering Committee

1. The GWOPA Steering Committee

GWOPA was established as an Alliance of organizations in 2009, dedicated to promoting and supporting peer-to-peer solidarity exchanges between water and sanitation operators. The objective is to support them in fulfilling their mandates as frontline providers of fundamental services that enable progress in virtually all aspects of development goals.

From public utilities that supply water and sewerage services to millions of customers in capital cities, to small units in local governments of small towns and community-based operators in rural areas or slums, water and sanitation operators are diverse, and their needs vary.

The Steering Committee (SC) is one of the governing bodies of the Alliance with the following objectives:

• To represent the diversity of stakeholders and geographical contexts;
• To create a steering body which could provide strategic orientations; recommendations to the Secretariat by conveying the needs and views of the different constituencies;
• To amplify the role and mandate of the UN-Habitat GWOPA Secretariat; and
• To embody the nature of GWOPA as an Alliance

The GWOPA Steering Committee is an elected body that provides strategic guidance to the GWOPA Secretariat. It helps define direction, review progress and work plans, and provide critical feedback on implementation to ensure GWOPA continues to reflect the views of its member stakeholder groups.

Steering Committee members act as focal points and advocates for GWOPA within their respective regions and communities of practice.

They are elected by the members of their constituency for a four-year mandate. Elections are staggered to ensure some continuity in the work of the Steering Committee. Only the institutional members of GWOPA are eligible. Applications are made by organizations, not individuals. The representatives of the applicant organizations must be endorsed by their organizations.

GWOPA’s current Steering Committee is comprised of a fixed number of representatives from the following stakeholder categories: public water operators or associations representing different regions, development partners, civil society organizations, labour unions and private operators, international multi-stakeholders organizations or networks, Development Cooperation agencies, Development Finance Institutions, national and sub-national governments, research and learning institutions, regulators, asset holding companies. Current donors to GWOPA also have a seat on the SC.

The composition of the Steering Committee, which is chaired by the UN-Habitat Executive Director, reflects the geographical and institutional diversity of the Alliance as established in GWOPA’s charter.

Elections for seats at the Steering Committee will be held prior to GWOPA Assembly (3 and 4 November 2024, Cairo, Egypt). See section 3.

The Current Steering Committee Members can be found below in Annexes 1.

Read more about the role and functions of the Steering Committee and the Rules of Procedure of the GWOPA Steering Committee in the GWOPA Charter here (Pages 11-13 and Annex 3, pages 27-30).

2. Elections of new Steering Committee members

Several seats at the GWOPA Steering Committee are open for elections. Candidatures are open until the 15 September 2024 (see section 3). So don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Elections will be held for the following constituencies:

3. Interested in submitting a candidature?

Why run for the elections?

• Your organization aspires to contribute to achieving the SDGs and believes in the convening power of an Alliance of members united around Guiding Principles, which values the spirit of WOPs and solidarity between peers.
• Your organization ambitions to make the voice of its peers heard and reflected in the work of the Alliance and to support its advocacy role at the highest levels
• Engaging with the GWOPA Steering Committee will enhance the visibility and recognition of your organization, showcasing its efforts and achievements in the global water sector.

Apply for the Steering Committee Candidature

Applications are made by organizations, not individuals. The GWOPA Steering Committee representatives of the applicant organizations must be endorsed by their organizations.

Candidate Organization and Institution Qualifications

Applying organizations and institutions are expected to have substantial knowledge and experience in water, sanitation, hygiene, and related fields, including health, institutional development, sustainability, and human rights. The institution and representative should possess recognized capacity to act as ambassadors and advocates for GWOPA within their communities and networks.

Ethical Standards

Organizations and Institutions and their representatives must have a proven record of ethical conduct and integrity. They are required to perform their duties, roles, and responsibilities in accordance with the highest ethical standards and work with complete transparency.

Election timeline

• Candidatures open until 15 September 2024
• NB: if your organization is not a member, please submit a membership application together with the application for the Steering Committee seat not later than 9 September 2024.
• Notification of Eligibility: Candidates will be informed of the validation of their candidature on 17 September 2024.
• Publication of Candidate Organizations: The list of candidates and representing organizations, along with their campaigning messages, will be published on the GWOPA website and social media from 17 September 2024 until the closing of the electronic voting period.
• Electronic Voting Period: Voting begins on 18 September 2024 and closes on 29 September 2024. Only institutional members of GWOPA can vote. If your organization is not a member, please submit a membership application not later than 20 September 2024 in order to be able to vote.
• Announcement of Results: The election results will be announced and published on the GWOPA website and social media on 1 October 2024.
• Electronic voting will open here from 18 September 2024 until 29 September 2024.

See the Current GWOPA Steering Committee Members