Johannesburg, 21 November 2025. The Global Water Partnership (GWP) welcomes the Final Report of the AU–AIP Africa Water Investment Summit, convened under the leadership of the African Union, AUDA–NEPAD, and the Republic of South Africa under its G20 Presidency.
The release takes place on the margins of the G20 Social Summit, where President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a landmark call to scale up global water investments.
In his address, President Ramaphosa stated:
“Delegates to this Summit have recognised the need to build resilience and inclusive value chains to protect vulnerable countries from increased volatility in global trade. The Social Summit has reaffirmed the importance of an inclusive transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy that is guided by those most affected. Delegates are calling on the G20 Leaders’ Summit to demonstrate leadership in scaling up global water investment for the benefit of all.”
This call, from the G20 Social Summit, places water investments in the hands of G20 Leaders for the first time in the history of the G20, establishing a united call for bold water investment leadership and action.
A New Era of Global Political Momentum for Water Investments
The Final Report captures outcomes from the AU–AIP Africa Water Investment Summit, which brought together more than 1,700 delegates from around the world, including Heads of States and Government, Ministers from 38 countries, investors, Multi-Lateral Development Banks, the private sector, youth, and civil society.
View the Final Report from the AU–AIP Africa Water Investment Summit here.
Key findings include:
- USD 10–12 billion in annual investment pipelines, consolidated from more than 80 priority projects.
- Endorsement of the Cape Town Declaration, calling for water to be elevated in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration.
- Launch of the G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative — comprising the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments and the Global Water Investment Platform (GIP).
Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP): A Foundation for the Global Investment Platform
The Global Investment Platform is inspired by the African Union–endorsed Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) that aims to mobilise USD 30 billion annually by 2030. The programme is strengthened by commitments by countries, multiple funding sources, including from the Green Climate Fund, World Bank, EU Team Europe, and other development partners of the African Union:
“The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is supporting national water investment programmes in 15 African countries, ensuring investment-readiness and national ownership.”
Global Expansion: GIP LAC and GIP–Asia Pacific
The GIP extends Africa’s model into other regions:
- GIP Latin America & Caribbean (GIP LAC)
Following the launch of the Global Water Investment Platform, during the AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit, on 9 October 2025, regional and global leaders initiated the process to establish a USD 20 billion Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean to close the water investment gap in the region and accelerate access towards the 2030 SDG 6 and water-related targets. Read more here. - GIP–Asia Pacific
This will build on GWP’s work across the region with partners, including the ongoing collaboration with the Asian Development Bank on the Asia Water Development Outlook Report, led by ADB, which covers the status of water security across 50 countries. This report provides a country-by-country snapshot of the region’s water security status, enabling policy makers, financing institutions, and planners to make more informed decisions on how to improve their performance in the water sector. Read more here.
GIP Global De-Risking Facility
To accelerate mobilisation of Private Sector Investments, a GIP Global De-Risking Facility is under development, building on the AIP Blended Finance Facility launched by the African Union at Africa Water Week (Cairo, 2023), transforming it into a global mechanism capable of catalysing blended and private finance.
The De-Risking Facility was agreed upon as part of the G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative on the margins of the 80th UN General Assembly.
For more information on the roadmap, click here.
GWP Accepts Invitation to Head GIP Secretariat
On the margins of the G20 Social Summit, GWPO announced the formal acceptance to head the GIP Secretariat, following the invitation of the G20 Presidency of South Africa. Working with G20 Leaders is part of the GWP Transformation Agenda, aligned with the GWP strategy 2026 -2030. The invitation to head the Secretariat builds on GWP’s role, as a technical lead partner of the AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit, in its capacity as Secretariat for the AIP and will enable transfer of experience and lessons from Africa to other regions of the world through the GIP. The GIP builds on the AIP experience and will focus on accelerating investment mobilisation towards the global water investment gap of at least USD 140 billion to achieve water and sanitation related SDG targets by 2030.
The GIP was launched during the AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Summit:
GWP Welcomes Call by the G20 Social Summit to Prioritise Water Investment
As G20 Leaders gather on 21–22 November 2025 in Johannesburg, the Global Water Partnership welcomes and supports the call by the G20 Social Summit for G20 Leaders to demonstrate bold leadership and endorse the call for expanding and prioritising global water investments for the benefit of all.