President (center) with GWPO Board and officials at State House in Windhoek
Namibia hosts GWPO’s inaugural Board Meeting, advances a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative on water investment, strengthens governance across the Global Water Partnership Network, and accelerates preparations towards the 2026 United Nations Water Conference
WINDHOEK, Namibia, 12 June 2026 – President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to advancing global water security and international cooperation as the country hosted the inaugural Board Meeting of the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) from its new headquarters in Windhoek.
During a courtesy meeting with the GWPO Board and senior leadership at State House, President Nandi-Ndaitwah underscored the global significance of GWPO’s presence in Namibia and the responsibility that comes with hosting an organisation dedicated to addressing one of humanity’s most pressing challenges.
“It’s not a Namibian Global Water Partnership Organisation office. It belongs to the whole world. And the whole world will then expect us to deliver on their behalf.”
The President’s remarks came as the GWPO Board approved the operationalisation of a USD 500 million Blended Investment Upstream Derisking Facility under the Global Water Investment Platform (GIP), a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative launched under the 2025 Presidency of H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa, to accelerate investments in water security and climate resilience.
The Board further endorsed an initial capitalisation target of USD 10 million, including an immediate allocation of USD 1 million during 2026 to establish the facility and commence operations ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
The catalytic funding is expected to unlock more than USD 400 million in priority investments emerging from across the Global Water Partnership’s Network across 180 countries, including initiatives under the GIP-AU endorsed Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP), the Global Water Investment Platform for Latin America and the Caribbean (GIP-LAC), and other regional investment pipelines.
The initiative builds on momentum generated by the African Union’s Africa Water Investment Summit, which identified an initial USD 10–12 billion pipeline of climate-resilient water investments requiring support for preparation and financing.
As President of the Global Water Investment Platform (GIP), GWPO Chief Executive Officer and GWP Executive Secretary Alex Simalabwi highlighted the strategic importance of the initiative in responding to the growing global financing gap in the water sector.
The operationalisation of the GIP Blended Investment Derisking Facility is expected to support the scaling up of the Africa Investment Programme (AIP) while also complementing emerging global initiatives aimed at accelerating water investments, including Water Forward, a collaborative initiative led by the World Bank and Multilateral Development Banks.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on strengthening international cooperation and knowledge sharing on water security, climate resilience, and sustainable development. Participants underscored the importance of learning from global experiences and good practices in countries that have successfully transformed their economies through strategic investments in water infrastructure, innovation, and integrated water resources management.
Ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which will be co-hosted by the Republic of Senegal and the United Arab Emirates, President Nandi-Ndaitwah announced plans to convene a high-level engagement with H.E. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal, and H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Co-Chairs of the Africa Investment Programme (AIP), to advance dialogue on innovative approaches to financing water security and accelerating investments in sustainable development.
Speaking during the State House engagement, Hon. Pablo Bereciartua, Chair of the Global Water Partnership and Minister of Infrastructure of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, reaffirmed GWPO’s commitment to supporting Namibia’s water security ambitions while advancing the global water investment transformation agenda.
“We are more than willing to work together in issues such as transboundary water cooperation, mobilising resources for strategic water infrastructure, rural water supply and sanitation, and innovative solutions such as desalination coupled with renewable energy. Water is at the centre of a new development agenda, and our core strategy is mobilising investment to make that transformation possible.”
The Board also approved the reaccreditation of 12 of the 13 Global Water Partnership Regional Water Partnerships (RWPs), reaffirming the strength of the GWP Network and its readiness to support a new era of global water investment transformation.
The accreditation process assessed governance arrangements, fiduciary standards, legal compliance, programme delivery capacity, and adherence to the principles and values of the Global Water Partnership. Accreditation to GWPO represents a mark of international governance excellence, demonstrating that accredited Regional Water Partnerships meet recognised standards of integrity, transparency, accountability, and effectiveness required to mobilise partnerships, manage resources responsibly, and deliver impact.
The Board further noted that the operationalisation of the Global Water Investment Platform will be supported through accredited GWP Regional Water Partnerships, GWPO’s complementary headquarters arrangements in Windhoek, Namibia, and Cape Town, South Africa. Under this model, the GWP global Network will originate pipelines of investment-ready projects, GWPO primarily HQ in Windhoek will serve as the world’s political capital for global water diplomacy, governance, high level political mobilisation, investment preparation and partnership building, while Cape Town will provide a strategic platform for investment financing, transaction support, blended finance structuring, and engagement with development finance institutions and private investors.
GWPO Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary, Alex Simalabwi, said:
“The launch of the Global Water Investment Platform’s blended finance facility builds on the roadmap of the G20 presidential legacy unveiled on the margins of the 2025 UN General Assembly towards the UN Water Conference & 2030 Agenda. It marks a major step towards transforming how water investments are prepared, financed, and delivered. Through strategic catalytic investments, we aim to unlock billions in financing, scale successful initiatives such as the Africa Investment Programme, support complementary global efforts, and accelerate progress towards a water-secure and climate-resilient future.”
Right to left: Hon. Pablo Bereciartua, Chair of the Global Water Partnership and Minister of Infrastructure of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, Hon. Ruthy Masake, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Mr. Alex Simalabwi, GWPO Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary, Ms. Hopolang Phororo, United Nations Resident Coordinator
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Board Members and Delegates of the inaugural Board Meeting in Windhoek, Namibia
The inaugural Board Meeting marked another milestone in Namibia’s growing role as a platform for international cooperation on water security, climate resilience, and sustainable development. As the international community prepares for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, the decisions taken in Windhoek underscore a shared commitment to strengthening governance, mobilising investments, fostering innovation, and accelerating collective action towards a water-secure future.
Photos of the GWPO Board during Courtesy Visit to State House of Namibia
Photos: Absai Haiduwa, Namibian Presidency
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About the Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO)
The Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO) is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to advancing water security through strengthened governance, investment mobilisation, knowledge sharing, and partnerships. Through its global network of Regional Water Partnerships and strategic partners, GWPO supports countries and institutions in accelerating progress towards sustainable development and climate resilience through integrated approaches to water management.