Gathered in Cotonou from 25 to 27 August 2026 at the initiative of the Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA) and the Volta Basin Authority (VBA), parliamentarians from the six riparian countries took a historic step forward with the establishment of the Regional Network of Volta Basin Parliamentarians (RRP-VBA). This new cooperation framework aims to strengthen political advocacy, water security, and the coordinated management of the basin’s shared water resources.
A new milestone has been reached in strengthening water resources governance in the Volta Basin with the official establishment of the Regional Network of Volta Basin Parliamentarians (RRP-VBA) during a regional workshop organized in Cotonou by the Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA) and the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) under the REWarD Volta River Basin Project.
Bringing together parliamentarians from the six VBA member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Togo), as well as representatives of National Focal Structures, the VBA, and GWP-WA, the workshop sought to strengthen regional cooperation and political commitment towards the sustainable and coordinated management of the basin’s water resources.
Stronger Political Commitment for Water Security
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Amadou Lamine Ndiaye, Executive Secretary of GWP-WA, emphasized the crucial role of parliamentarians in transboundary water governance. He underscored that the challenges posed by climate change, population growth, and increasing pressure on water resources require strong and sustained political commitment. He also highlighted the importance of making the Volta Basin a space of cooperation, peace, and shared prosperity for the approximately 35 million people who depend on its waters.
The workshop forms part of a process launched in Bamako in 2025 with the validation of the Network’s founding act. In Cotonou, participants deepened their understanding of the challenges related to Gestion Intégrée des Ressources en Eau (GIRE), examined sustainable water financing mechanisms, and developed a roadmap to strengthen collaboration with the VBA.
Establishment of the Network’s Executive Bureau
One of the major outcomes of the meeting was the installation of the Executive Bureau of the Regional Network of Volta Basin Parliamentarians, composed as follows:
- President: Hon. Assane Sidibé (Mali)
- Vice-President: Hon. Sabi Mohamed Djamilatou (Benin)
- Rapporteur: Hon. Fofana Haoua (Burkina Faso)
This leadership team will be responsible for coordinating the Network’s activities, promoting advocacy for the ratification and implementation of the Volta Basin Water Charter, and strengthening dialogue between national parliaments and VBA institutions.
Towards a Future Volta Basin Inter-Parliamentary Committee
The RRP-VBA is a transitional step toward the establishment of the future Volta Basin Inter-Parliamentary Committee (IPC), as provided for under the Volta Basin Water Charter. The Network will notably support the Charter’s ratification process, mobilize political decision-makers, and promote investments needed for the sustainable management of shared water resources.
Through this initiative, GWP-WA and the VBA reaffirm their commitment to strengthening transboundary water governance and mobilizing political actors around issues of water security, climate resilience, and sustainable development across the Volta Basin.
For GWP-WA, the establishment of the RRP-VBA represents a major step toward a more inclusive, democratic, and people-centered water governance system that is firmly rooted in the realities of communities throughout the Volta Basin.