2024 GWOPA Assembly: Your chance to shape the future of WOPs

Elections for the position of Chair will open from 2 October 2024, 11:59 PM CEST to 6 October 2024, 11:59 PM CEST

GWOPA’s Charter calls for a General Assembly of members to be held every two years.

In 2024, a GWOPA Assembly will be held on 2 and 3 November in Cairo, Egypt. This event will be held just prior to the opening of the World Urban Forum (WUF) on 4-8 November, the foremost global cities event convened by UN-Habitat with the Government of Egypt.

This will be the first assembly of GWOPA under the new governance framework, which will initiate a new hybrid format.

Please save the date to join us in Cairo and engage the diverse GWOPA memberships in refreshing our mandate, networking, and seeking synergies and new partnerships!

Celebrate 15 years of peer solidarity!

We are brought together by a dedication to solidarity in supporting utilities to advance the SDGs. Let’s celebrate the achievements of working together as an Alliance as we celebrate 15 years.

Exercise your membership in the Alliance

The Assembly is the opportunity to understand the meaning and workings of the ‘Alliance’: how our members benefit from joining, how they can contribute, and how the governance works. Over the last 15 years, GWOPA has refined its ways of working together as Members, serving the Alliance with a Secretariat, a Steering Committee, and WOP platforms from several regions. Join us to meet with the new and current representatives from your constituencies and your region, to discuss how to best capitalize on this network. Read more on GWOPA Steering Committee.

Shape the future

Participate in the discussions on strategic orientations as GWOPA reviews progress on its current Strategy and prepares for the next one. Make your voice and needs heard!

Learn

The Assembly will offer learning opportunities, with some exciting short onsite courses and inspirational talks on the art of mentoring, facilitating WOPs, and more. On the second day of the Assembly, members will have the opportunity to participate in a training session organized by our partner, the Water Integrity Network (WIN). Later in the week, GWOPA and its local partners will offer a half-day technical visit to the vibrant city of Cairo.

Utilities and local governments dialogue

The World Urban Forum (WUF) is the leading international conference on sustainable urban development. Attending the WUF is highly beneficial for the GWOPA membership as it offers unparalleled global networking opportunities with key stakeholders in urban development, access to expert knowledge and research, and insights into innovative solutions for urban challenges such as sustainable development, housing, and climate change. The forum allows participants to influence urban policy, engage in meaningful dialogue on the future of cities, and promote sustainable and inclusive urban practices.

The GWOPA Assembly is one of the three bodies constituting the organizational structure of GWOPA: The GWOPA Assembly, the GWOPA Steering Committee, and the GWOPA Secretariat.

GWOPA’s Assembly is open for all institutional and individual members to attend. We welcome you all to join in person or remotely.

The GWOPA Assembly (Membership) undertakes the following functions:

Reviews, guides and discusses the strategic direction of GWOPA;

Endorses and validates the elections of the Steering Committee, and elections of any other committees;

Requests the Steering Committee and other Committees to undertake certain activities, including the preparations of meetings, activities, and engagements of GWOPA;

Provides guidance to the Steering Committee and to the GWOPA Secretariat on issues concerning GWOPA;

Adopts recommendations, resolutions, reports, and other decisions pertaining to the work of GWOPA in an advisory capacity; and

Establishes committees or task forces, including the Integrity Committee and the Election Committee. The Terms of Reference for the Integrity Committee and Election Committee are attached to the Charter as Annexes 4 and 5 respectively.

Read the GWOPA Charter

The Chair of the GWOPA Assembly facilitates the running of the Assembly proceedings. Beyond their role during the Assembly itself, they are expected to champion WOPs and act as a high-level face of the Alliance at events and meetings.

Functions of the Chair of the GWOPA Assembly

2.1

In addition to exercising the powers conferred upon the Chair elsewhere by these rules, they shall declare the opening and closing of each meeting of the GWOPA Assembly, direct the discussions, ensure observance of these rules, accord GWOPA Members the right to speak, put questions for discussion and decision making, and announce outcomes. The Chair shall, subject to these rules, have complete control over the proceedings of the GWOPA Assembly and over the maintenance of order at its meetings.

2.2

The Chair, in the exercise of their functions, remains under the authority of the GWOPA Assembly.

2.3

The Vice-Chair shall support the Chair in the discharge of their duties as requested and carry out any responsibilities entrusted to him/her by the GWOPA Assembly.

As a WOP Champion, the Chair will advocate for utilities and WOPs, mobilizing support and engaging decision-makers to advance GWOPA’s mission of global solidarity through peer partnerships. The Chair should possess a deep understanding of the challenges faced by water and sanitation operators worldwide, be a strong advocate for the SDGs, and have a proven track record in supporting peer-to-peer solidarity mechanisms between operators. They will work closely with the Secretariat and the Steering Committee of the Alliance, which will support their two-year mandate until the next Assembly.

As a global alliance, we encourage applications from all countries. Women are currently underrepresented in the GWOPA Alliance governance and are strongly encouraged to apply.

Ms. Rose Christine Kaggwa, Senior Director Business and Scientific Services, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda

I have vast experience in the water and sanitation sector bringing to the role, good governance and leadership experience drawn from my service at the regional, national and international levels. I currently serve as Senior Director, Business and Scientific Services at NWSC. As a key player in NWSC’s transformation journey, I have since 2005 led its’ consultancy unit, championing the sharing of knowledge and expertise for over 100 utilities from 35 countries in Africa, South East Asia and the Caribbean.

I therefore, have a good understanding of the needs and expectations of the different GWOPA members. Additionally, my work on the Uganda Water Sector national task force for tracking SDG 6 achievement provides a spring board to continue advocacy for acceleration of inputs and progress. Regionally, I have championed and contributed to the roll out of WOP projects in Africa, and having led the AfWASA Scientific and Technical Council since 2018, will build on this experience to add value to the GWOPA agenda and work. I was also instrumental in development of the African Sanitation Policy Guidelines (2021) for Africa’s Ministers Council for Water.

Internationally, I have served on the International Water Association Board and was recently elected as Senior Vice President for the period 2024 – 2026. I have also served on various specialist groups and Committees between 2020 – 2023, including as representative of NWSC on WOPs Steering Committee. I am therefore well positioned to create impact in the Alliance and will utilize my wide network to influence necessary policy changes. Lastly as an expert moderator, I possess great communication skills which matched with good mobilization and networking skills will add value to the Assembly meetings and amplify its value to members. I am also happy to receive the endorsement by my employer and will be available to serve.

Mr. Ignatius Jean, Executive Director, Caribbean Water And Sewerage Association (CAWASA)

Ignatius Jean is a national of Saint Lucia. Since 2014, he has been the Executive Director of CAWASA and represented the Caribbean WOPs Platform at GWOPA and is a member of the International Steering Committee of GWOPA. He has over 3 decades of service in regional and international organisations, technical cooperation and government.

He has served as a Minister for Phyiscal Planning, Housing and Environment in the Government of Saint Lucia. Currently the Chairman of the Development Control Authority in Saint Lucia and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). His experience in the water sector includes, focusing on training and technical capacity development, institutional and regulatory issues; supported several regional studies in the water sector focusing on institutional policy and regulatory incentives; and coordination of regional and international water operator partnerships as well as collaboration with donor agencies.

In January 2024, he was awarded by the Water Professionals -WPI (formerly the Association of Boards of Certification - ABC, of the USA) with the Robert D. McAnespie Outstanding Certification Officer Award for “unwavering years of service, dedication, and devotion towards enhancing the profession and water industry”. He is a member of the International Water Association (IWA). He has undertaken several continuing education programmes including Utility Regulation and Strategy at the Public Utility Research Centre (PURC), University of Florida. Mr. Jean holds a M.Sc. degree in Agricultural Management and Post Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Economics from the University of Reading, UK, and Certificate in Development Diplomacy, Diplo Foundation, Malta.

Vote for your favourite candidate!

The list of candidates below was published on 1 October 2024. The electronic voting will be open between 2 October 2024, 11:59 PM CEST and 6 October 2024, 11:59 PM CEST .

The results of the polls will be announced here on 7 October 2024, and all candidates will be notified via email. Organizations willing to vote but not yet members of GWOPA should submit an institutional membership application not later than 28 September 2024.