Justicia Shipena
Namibia has signed a headquarters agreement to host the Secretariat of the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) in Windhoek. The agreement was signed on Wednesday.
The minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform, Inge Zaamwani, said the signing reflects confidence in Namibia and Africa.
“This decision reflects confidence not only in Namibia as a country but also in Africa’s capacity to lead, convene, and deliver on one of the most pressing development challenges of our time: water security,” she said.
Zaamwani said Namibia has invested in integrated water resources management, climate adaptation, groundwater development, desalination and water reuse.
She also highlighted Namibia’s role in transboundary water cooperation, as the country shares five major river basins with neighbouring states.
Namibia is a founding member of several SADC river basin organisations, including ORASECOM, OKACOM, CUVECOM, the Kunene Permanent Joint Technical Commission and ZAMCOM.
Through the agreement, Namibia committed to providing office space, administrative and logistical support, visa and residency facilitation, tax and customs exemptions for official operations and a legal framework aligned with international standards.
Zaamwani said the hosting arrangement forms part of a dual-headquarters model.
“It shows that solutions to global challenges can and must be shaped from the perspectives of those most affected. It affirms Africa’s role not only as a recipient of solutions but also as a co-architect of global policy, investment, and delivery platforms,” she said.
She said the presence of the Secretariat in Namibia will help turn commitments into projects, especially ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
“We are particularly committed to ensuring that the GWPO Secretariat serves as a practical delivery platform, one that supports countries and river basin organisations to develop credible investment pipelines, mobilise finance, and implement projects that improve lives on the ground,” Zaamwani added.
Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) board vice chair Munashe Mvura said the move goes beyond formality.
Mvura spoke on behalf of GWPSA board chair Dr Jakaya Kikwete.
Namibia hosted the first global meeting of the Global Water Partnership in 1996.
Mvura said the return to Namibia comes at a time when water challenges are increasing.
“Nearly three decades later, we return not simply to honour history, but to re-anchor global water leadership at a time when water challenges are intensifying, financing gaps are widening, and delivery must accelerate,” he said.
GWPSA works with SADC member states to strengthen governance of shared water resources.
He said the signing confirms the role of the Global South in shaping global water policy.
“It also sends a clear signal: that the Global South is not peripheral to global water leadership; that it is central to shaping priorities, mobilising investment, and delivering results aligned with SDG 6 and Africa’s Water Vision,” he said.
Chair of the GWP technical committee and member of the GWP Steering Committee, Jaehyang So, said water security remains a global challenge.
She reflected on lessons from infrastructure development.
“And one of the biggest lessons of the World Bank in the past thirty years is that successful and sustainable infrastructure services require knowledge as much as, if not more than, construction and the software to go with the hardware,” she said.
She said water security remains difficult to achieve, especially under climate change.
“While infrastructure service and management have largely improved in the world, water security continues to be an ongoing challenge, and climate change has made water security more difficult to achieve. Every country in the world faces water security challenges today,” she said.
“Namibia will be an amazing host and partner for GWPO’s transformation agenda and its new strategy. The country’s knowledge and achievements in water security will serve as an important knowledgebase for GWP’s unique global intergovernmental network members all travelling their water security journey.”
